Historical information

This was donated by Karen Alexander who is living on the old family farm at Emerald - the land was bought in 1920 by Karen's grandfather, Charles Thomas Alexander, who was a Ferntree Gully Councilor who died in the early 1940s. The property was variously used for dairy farming and cropping.

Significance

Identification of the use of this unit was made more difficult because it was home-made. As such it is an example of settlers improvising or creating equipment to meet their needs.

Physical description

Water distillation unit consisting of a main cylinder and separate pouring funnel which sits on top of the main cylinder. No maker markings so thought to be home-made. Water distillation is a process in which water is boiled until it evaporates and condenses, leaving behind impurities with different boiling points. Distillation produces clean, pure water. It is an effective water treatment method for removing contaminants like bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals.

Inscriptions & markings

The unit consists of two cylinders which fit together so there is the appearance of one cylinder
Top cylinder 'D [downward arrow] D'
Bottom cylinder: 'D [upward arrow] D'