Why was the Coolgardie safe needed in the Goldfields?

Why was the Coolgardie safe needed in the Goldfields?

The Coolgardie safe was his genius solution to the gold field’s fresh food problem. This unassuming box, which transformed the way remote communities kept food, works on the simple principal of evaporation. For a liquid to change into a gas (evaporate), it needs to draw energy from its surroundings.

How was a Coolgardie safe used?

Late 1890s Coolgardie safe invented Through a wicking action, water dripped onto the hessian, keeping it damp. The safe was generally kept on a verandah or in a breezeway. As the breeze evaporated water from the fabric it absorbed the heat from the surrounding air and kept the contents of the Coolgardie safe cool.

Who invented Coolgardie safe?

Arthur Patrick McCormick
The safe was invented in the late 1890s by Arthur Patrick McCormick, who used the same principle as explorers and travelers in the Outback used to cool their canvas water bags: when the canvas bag is wet the fibers expand and it holds water.

What does the Coolgardie safe look like?

This particular Coolgardie safe is of a common type: a rectangular metal frame, which supports hessian sides, wired on. It has a simple hinged door on the front, and one internal shelf. The top of the frame has a galvanised sheet-metal tray (ie: a reservoir), which is filled with water.

Who invented the canvas water bag?

The Coolgardie safe was invented in the late 1890s in the Western Australian gold fields by Arthur McCormick, who applied the same principle that explorers and travelers in the outback used to cool their canvas water bags. When the canvas water bag becomes wet the fibres expand and the bag holds most of the water.

How did old meat safe work?

What a meat safe/food safe was like. A food safe was a wooden cupboard with doors and sides open to the air apart from a covering of fine galvanised wire mesh. This allowed the air to circulate while keeping insects out.

Who invented the Coolgardie safe?

What is a desert water bag?

Desert water bags were once a common sight on the highways of the American Southwest. Designed to keep water cool under hot conditions, desert water bags were available at service stations and general stores, where they could be filled with water and hung on the outside of the vehicle to keep cool.

What did a meat safe look like?

What a food safe/meat safe was like. A food safe was a wooden cupboard with doors and sides open to the air apart from a covering of fine galvanised wire mesh. This allowed the air to circulate while keeping insects out.

What is an old meat safe?

In the past, a ‘meat safe’ was used in the days before ice boxes and fridges and was a piece of furniture that was used to store meat and other food items. The meat safe also stored pies, bread and other food to protect them from insects and vermin.

What were desert water bags used for?

Why was the Coolgardie safe invented in Western Australia?

The Coolgardie safe was a boon to those on the goldfields of Western Australia. Coolgardie, the largest township, was more than 550km from Perth. After the discovery of gold in 1892 the influx of miners meant fresh food was in demand, scarce and expensive.

What was the name of the goldfields in Coolgardie?

Over the years, Coolgardie has also been known as Bayley’s Find, Fly Flat and The Old Camp. Coolgardie’s gold production diminished in the early 1900s and by 1914 the town was in decline.

What was the population of Coolgardie in 1980?

By 1980, its population down to about 200, Coolgardie was almost a ghost town. Coolgardie, known as the Mother of the Goldfields in honour of its position as the first town of the Eastern Goldfields, is today home to approximately 1,200 residents.

When did Coolgardie become the capital of West Australia?

When gold was discovered in Coolgardie in 1892, the town developed rapidly, becoming a municipality in 1894. The population of 15,000 in 1898 made it the third largest town in WA after Perth and Fremantle, and it became the capital of the West Australian Goldfields before being overtaken by Kalgoorlie Boulder.

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