Historical information

This is a photo of the backyard of the property adjacent to the Coop's home. At the time the neighbours were Mrs Daisy McKernan (a widow) and her son Alexander Colin McKernan.
The clothes line prop was a forerunner of the clothes hoist. Clothes line props were standard purchase items at many local hardware stores and the donor poetically described them as holding "long lines of drying washing above the dusty democracy of many a rough back yard."
Whilst the Coop home is still extant in 2019 and used as professional rooms for Dr Peter Chau, an eye surgeon, 686 Whitehorse Road has been replaced by units.

Significance

This captures the utilitarian nature of the 'typical' back yard before the advent of rampant consumerism. Large areas of open lawn were a desirable central feature, often edged with neatly contained garden beds. Better lawnmowers, plus the promotion of new chemicals and fertilisers to help home gardeners grow the perfect lawn. Missing is the rotary hoist and the vegetable garden.

Physical description

A black & white photo on a sunny day of a backyard with the following features: a timber shed, an additional shed / hen house, a hand lawn mower leaning against a tree, several hens and a metal drum (perhaps used as bonfire container). A sloping pole/prop may be seen on the left.