These domestic kitchen bags were donated to the National Wool Museum by Lila Gore. Lila donated Children’s Clothing (RGE 8324) to the museum in 2022 and at her time of donating, inquired as to whether the museum would also be interested in these bags she had been collecting. Lila said there was no reason as to why she was saving the bags, other than she liked the art works and thought they were too good to end up in landfill. She had thought perhaps she would make something out of the bags, or perhaps give the bags to a friend to make something. When Lila was donating the Children’s Clothing to the museum, she thought that the National Wool Museum would be the perfect home for the bags. Domestic kitchen bags such as these date from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. They were used at home, usually by women, containing household items which would not spoil, such as flour, sugar, animal feed, seeds, and other commodities. In modern times a trip to the supermarket is a daily chore, in the past however, these trips happened far less often, with big sacks such as these a large reason why. In the rural US and Canada, Feed sack dresses and Flour sack dresses, were an iconic part of rural life from the 1920s through the Great Depression, World War II, and post-World War II years. Australia also reused these sacks, typically for making wagga style blankets, but re-use for clothing was not unusual.Calico oat bag with graphic image on front showing three bears holding porridge bowls with yellow background and red, white and black text. Back of bag shows red and white graphic image of a woman wearing a dress and heeled shoes holding a coffee cup, with red and white text.Front: THREE BEARS \ PORRIDGE \ FLAKED \ OATMEAL \ SOMEBODYS BEEN TASTIN' MY PORRIDGE \ AN' THEY'VE EATEN IT ALL UP \ Jas. F. McKenzie & Co. Pty. Ltd. \ AUSTRALIA \ 7 LBS. NET. Back: MCKENZIES \ EXCELSIOR \ COFFEE \ ESSENCEwagga, flour, oats, bag, calico, lila, gore, depression, war, kitchen

Calico bag originally containing porridge and sold in Australia during 1930's. Patent is dated 1936.Front top: THREE BEARS PORRIDGE / OATMEAL / picture of three bears / SOMEBODY'S BEEN TASTING MY PORRIDGE AND THEY'VE EATEN IT ALL UP / 7 LBS.NET Back of bag: Cut-out pattern of Brere Rabbit. Directions - cut around outline of design, place both patterns face to face, stitch around the outline leaving open down the side of the trousers for filling; cut notches, turn right side out, then fill with suitable filling. Sew down side of trousers when filled. Copyrights and Patents Applied for. In order to complete this doll it will be necessary to obtain the Back Design from another Bag of "Three Bears" Rolled Oats or Oat-meals. LOOKOUT FOR FURTHER DESIGNS OF NEW DOLL CUT OUTS ON ALL MCKENZIE'S "THREE BEARS" ROLLED OATS AND OATMEAL BAGS.porridge. oatmeal, mckenzies

Dry foods such as oats were packaged in cloth bags from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. Parsons' Brothers and Company were involved in packaging a variety of produce for the Australian market including oatmeal for porridge.The oat bags provide a snapshot of a well-known Australian food company and how the bags were used to advertise other items available from the business.A set of two Oatmeal Bags from the Parsons' company. Each bag is made from calico with ornate writing and images on the front that relate to the product and company. The back of each bag is used to advertise a different product from the company – Saline Powder (8649.1) and Mustard (8649.2).Front (both): 7-lbs. Net, PARSONS', TRADE MARK, THE ORIGINAL FLAKED OATMEAL, DELICIOUS PORRIDGE, WITH ONLY TEN MINUTES BOILING, PARSONS BROS & COY., PROPY. LTD., MELBOURNE Back 8649.1 : TRY Parsons', PARSONS' SALINE POWDER, NET ? LB, SALINE POWDER, A COOL, REFRESHING AND HEALTHFUL DRINK Back 8649.2 : UNSURPASSED in Quality and Price, PARSONS' MUSTARD, (further writing is faded)flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, calico, domestic object, textile, food storage, parsons' bros, oatmeal, porridge

Textiles. Calico bag printed on both sides with red, white and yellow, ''PARSONS The Original FLAKED Oatmeal 7 LBS NET.Delious Porridge with only ten minutes boiling''. Parsons Bros & Co, Pty., Ltd., Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle. Centre picture within a red circle of an upright Lion holding a yellow wheat sheaf beside a set of scales. Brothers Leonard and George Parsons left England for Australia following the discovery of gold. In 1861 the Uncle Tobys Company was born, originally under the name of Parsons Bros.textiles, domestic, parson bros calico flour bag