COOLGARDIE SAFE

The Coolgardie safe uses evaporation to keep the food inside cool while protecting it from flies and scavengers. It was invented in the late 1890s on the Western Australian goldfields, an invention credited to a local contractor named Arthur Patrick McCormick. The Coolgardie safe was widely used in country areas well into the 20th century.

The Coolgardie safe was Australia’s precursor to the domestic refrigerator. The appliance consisted of a timber or metal-framed cabinet with open sides covered in hessian fabric. On top of the cabinet, a tank was filled with water and strips of felt trailed down from the tank to the hessian. 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. The feet of the safe were often placed in another tray of water to deter ants.

In rural areas, the introduction of the kerosene fridge in the 1920s provided an alternative before the widespread availability of electricity. However, these were expensive to run and regarded as luxury items, so the Coolgardie safe remained the main method of food storage in country Australia for many decades.
 

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:                 Article:      

                                  Image:     

Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023