More than just recipes: reading colonial life in the works of Wilhelmina Rawson

Abstract

First published in 1878, Mrs Lance Rawson’s cookery book and household hints was the first cookbook of its kind to provide recipes and household hints specifically tailored for life in colonial Australia. Over a long and prolific career, Wilhelmina Rawson instructed her readers on more than mere culinary matters, her works were also guides on what a colonial lifestyle should look like. Cookbooks are valuable cultural artefacts that mirror many aspects of the society that has produced them. They not only codify culinary and domestic practices but also codify wider cultural and social practices. Rawson’s books, such as The Antipodean cookery book and The Australian enquiry book, provide fascinating insights into life at turn of the century Australia.