Historical information
The Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection provides invaluable insight into life in late nineteenth and early twentieth century north east Victoria. The collection comprises manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family on their farm in Wodonga, and a set of glass negatives which offer a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community.
The Haeusler family migrated from Prussia (Germany) to South Australia in the 1840s and 1850s, before purchasing 100 acres of Crown Land made available under the Victorian Lands Act 1862 (also known as ‘Duffy’s Land Act’) in 1866 in what is now Wodonga West. The Haeusler family were one of several German families to migrate from South Australia to Wodonga in the 1860s.
This teapot is one of the many domestic objects in the Haeusler Collection that represent family and home life in early twentieth century Wodonga. The ingenious repair to the teapot's handle reflects the resourcefulness and thriftiness of the Haeusler family during the economic hardships of the 1930s Great Depression.
The teapot was manufactured in England, likely dating from the early twentieth-century.
Significance
This item has well documented provenance and a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history, and women’s history.
Physical description
A glazed ceramic teapot with a printed design depicting two deer and a hunter in a woodland on one side, and two deer by a stream in a woodland on the other. The broken handle of the teapot has been replaced with wire. The teapot handle was repaired by Alfred Haeusler (b.1922, d.1997) and holds remarkable balance, perfectly retaining its function.
Inscriptions & markings
Faded, circular makers mark on the base of teapot, illegible/"ENGLAND"
