The Ideology of Domesticity and the Working-Class Women and Children of Port Adelaide, 1840–1890

Abstract

In discussing the acceptance of the ideology of domesticity by the working class of Australia, Grace Karskens (2001:79) has suggested that archaeologists need to “consider the limits of domesticity and moral order in some houses, in some lives.” Three sites in Port Adelaide are examined in response to this suggestion: the McKay and Farrow family cottages, and a group of four tenanted cottages. The artifacts from these sites were used to determine the extent to which the ideology of domesticity had been accepted by the residents, particularly in relation to the economic role of women and children and the idea of home as a sanctuary. This is analyzed by considering the archaeological evidence for women undertaking paid work within the home, the number of children’s toys, and evidence of home decoration in the form of ornaments and house fittings. This evidence would suggest the McKay family had fully embraced the ideology of domesticity, while the Farrow family incorporated a working wife into their conception of respectability. For the residents at Quebec Street, however, adherence to the ideology was a daily struggle that required sacrifices.