The Household Arts: Sweeping, Beating and Scrubbing
Keeping the floors clean in the 1850s was a never-ending challenge! On the golfields, the early arrivals had to contend with the most basic of dwellings: tents and timbers huts, most of which had dirt floors. Some enterprising families and businesses would use crushed quartz for flooring as it was found to be a good way to avoid flea infestations. Even in the later years of the gold rush, many diggers would still live in huts and tents, allowing them to save their money and move on quickly as new leads were discovered.
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