Toy
Teacup
Tea service
Maker & role
Unknown, Maker
Production date
circa 1922
Object detail
Production place
Collection
Credit line
Purchase, 1985
Meroogal Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Meroogal Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Description
This English stoneware toy tea set was a gift to June Steel (later Wallace, 1917-2010) from her Aunt Helen (Mary ‘Helen’ Grace Macgregor) around 1922 when June was about five years old. June’s parents’ marriage ended when she was very young and she moved to Nowra with her mother to live at Kintore, a cottage built on the horse paddock attached to historic Meroogal house. June spent much of her time with her aunts (Macgregor’s) and great-aunts (Thorburn’s) and frequently stayed at Meroogal.
Afternoon tea was an important feature of life at Meroogal. With her toy tea set, June undoubtedly enjoyed imitating her aunts. Although June engaged in a gratifying element of play, the toy tea service would also have helped her perfect the ritual of afternoon tea, considered an important skill for most middle-class Australian girls. June eventually inherited Meroogal and although she lived in Sydney, visited Meroogal and her Nowra friends once a month – she continued the tradition of her aunts and great-aunts by beginning each visit with a cup of tea on the side verandah.
Afternoon tea was an important feature of life at Meroogal. With her toy tea set, June undoubtedly enjoyed imitating her aunts. Although June engaged in a gratifying element of play, the toy tea service would also have helped her perfect the ritual of afternoon tea, considered an important skill for most middle-class Australian girls. June eventually inherited Meroogal and although she lived in Sydney, visited Meroogal and her Nowra friends once a month – she continued the tradition of her aunts and great-aunts by beginning each visit with a cup of tea on the side verandah.
Accession number
M87/143-4
Share
Maker
Object name
Subject
Contact Us
Head Office
The Mint, 10 Macquarie St
Sydney, NSW 2000
On Gadigal land
T 02 8239 2288
TTY 02 8239 2377
E info@mhnsw.au
Public comments
Be the first to comment on this object record.