Food
It was difficult providing food for a pioneer family. Flour, tea and sugar were the main items carried in from the nearest store. Treats were treacle and dried meat. The flour was made into damper. Settlers planted hop bushes so they could have yeast and then be able to make proper bread. Fish from the creek was the only fresh meat and bacon was a real treat. A house cow was another important item to buy as soon as there was some grass for the cow to eat. They drank the milk and made butter from the cream. Because they had buttermilk they could have a pig, but a pig needed a good fence which had to be made first. Later families acquired some chickens and a vegetable garden. This meant eggs and fresh vegetable. Food gradually improved to include potatoes all year round and other fruits and vegetables in season as well as meat from the farm. Without freezers though meat could not be kept for long without salting it. The pioneers invented a wide variety of pickles and chutneys to make salted meat more palatable.
