Early settlers had to daily maintain a fire in their kitchen hearth for cooking and heating purposes. Preservation of meat entailed curing by smoking in the kitchen hearth, hence domestic bellows were an important item of kitchen equipment. These domestic fire bellows were used to maintain the fire in the kitchen hearth for cooking,preserving and heating purposes by an early settler family in Moorabbin Shire.A small, domestic, fire bellows for maintaining a fire in the kitchen hearth for cooking and heating. brighton, moorabbin, cooking, pioneers, market gardeners, early settlers, kitchen equipment, bellows, meat, betleigh, fireplaces, farm equipment