Dunny's
By John Boom
When most of us oldies were young many of us can still remember the outside
toilets or as most Aussies called them: Dunny's. It wasn't uncommon in many
areas to have snakes, red backs and other spiders to give you a nasty surprise
in those days. I've tried to capture some in photos for the younger generation to
look at.
I think the most terrible part was that we had to use cut up squares of
newspaper and then under the wooden toilet seat was a smelly collection drum.
No flushing in those days. There were local Pan Men that came into our
properties and collected them and replaced the pan with empty ones weekly.
They carried the pans over their shoulders so you could imagine what was said
if they ever dropped one. Many of the first pan men used a horse and flat top
wagon to collect the pans. Then later tray trucks were used.
Over time many were replaced by flushable toilets with cast iron water tanks
with chains that you had to pull down. Today most have been moved indoors
and are a luxury compared to that of the earlier Australian years.
Many of the remaining dunny's are true Australian icons from the past
and they're well worth preserving.
By John Boom
When most of us oldies were young many of us can still remember the outside
toilets or as most Aussies called them: Dunny's. It wasn't uncommon in many
areas to have snakes, red backs and other spiders to give you a nasty surprise
in those days. I've tried to capture some in photos for the younger generation to
look at.
I think the most terrible part was that we had to use cut up squares of
newspaper and then under the wooden toilet seat was a smelly collection drum.
No flushing in those days. There were local Pan Men that came into our
properties and collected them and replaced the pan with empty ones weekly.
They carried the pans over their shoulders so you could imagine what was said
if they ever dropped one. Many of the first pan men used a horse and flat top
wagon to collect the pans. Then later tray trucks were used.
Over time many were replaced by flushable toilets with cast iron water tanks
with chains that you had to pull down. Today most have been moved indoors
and are a luxury compared to that of the earlier Australian years.
Many of the remaining dunny's are true Australian icons from the past
and they're well worth preserving.
| Tilba |
| Milparinka |
| Dorrigo |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
