Show History

‘What Was That?’ – Chirnside family and Werribee Park history

You have just experienced a performance of ‘What Was That?’ Throughout the play there is much history covered in the dialogue, even in the more comedic moments. Read on for a recap on the historical aspects of the ‘What Was That?’ production.

Introduction: Visitors to Werribee Park, if not immediately known to the family, had to present a ‘calling card’. This is a sign of status and confirms the identification of otherwise total strangers. The servants would only enter the house via the courtyard and even the Chirnside family entered via the side door, the ‘family entrance’. Visitors to the house were expected to dress in a manner that reflected their status.

Servants were always dressed in very plain colours, usually black and white. This simply and easily identified them as in-service employees. The servants had their own strict hierarchy and most were not allowed in the main house especially when the Chirnsides had visitors. Hence, Maggie’s delight in taking guests to areas or rooms that were ‘off-limits’ to most of the servants and/or female guests.

Billiard Room

Some of the rooms of the house were for men only (billiard room, library) as Maggie describes.

Taxidermy was in wide usage and was used as a show of wealth (only the rich could afford to hunt) and for decoration. Some of them even had more practical usage. For example, the elephant’s foot was used to keep drinks cold. The original stuffed animals in the billiard room are the elephant’s foot and the hippopotamus head. The billiard table was a popular leisure past time for men. The table is original and its legs are supported by bluestone walls under the floor for stability and strength.

Drawing Room

Even though men also came into this room to socialise, it was more the women’s domain and hence was decorated as such. The house had an electric bell system. Each room has a bell which, when pressed, rattled the bell particular to that room on a board which would have been in the kitchen area, so the servant knows which room is requiring service.

Social etiquette was very strict and detailed. The rules read by Mr. Duncan (except for ‘breaking wind’) were all taken from an actual book ‘Don’t: A Manual of Mistakes and Improprieties More or Less Prevalent in Conduct and Speech’. A few other rules not mentioned by Mr Duncan but included in the book are as follows:

- Don’t wear soiled linen. Be scrupulously particular on this point

- Don’t wear your hat cocked over your eye, or thrust back upon your head. One method is rowdyish, the other rustic.

Major social changes were beginning to be challenged around the early 20th century, especially with regard to the role of women who were very much considered to be (especially by men) the weaker sex. For example, women began to demand more rights with regard to choices of marriage, employment and many sought the right to vote. Maggie is very much a forward thinking woman who recognises the inequities of the role of women and the need for change. Her own job as a servant would have been often very physically demanding yet she recognises and enjoys some of the freedoms of social norms that servants had compared to the fine ladies of the house. She also describes the use of the love seat for a courting couple and the use of the red chair for the ‘lady of the house’. The ladies were expected to learn to play a musical instrument which would be the part of the usual entertainment in a social gathering g in the drawing room.

Library

In this room, Mr Duncan takes charge almost portraying himself as the ‘man of the house’ and as such very typical with regard to the attitudes of men in 1908. He would have considered himself to be very magnanimous in his manner and thoughts about women when, when in fact, he fails to recognise that he is actually being condescending and very misguided in his attitudes. Most men at the time, were very much against women being given the right to vote and genuinely thought women would not understand the complicated world of politics.

Mr Duncan shows the special cup designed to protect waxed moustaches from wilting when it comes into contact with hot steam.

Hall

Maggie talks about the ‘flushing water closets’ which was another very modern feature of the house (even though the sewerage was flushed in the Werribee River). Not all of the bedrooms had this modern convenience so Maggie also describes one of the most unpleasant tasks for servants; emptying the bedpans each morning which were still commonly used by the family and guests.

It is true that ‘busts’ were generally reserved for very famous people or royalty and there was some negative talk at the time of Thomas having one made for himself. Opposite Thomas’s bust is another alcove but there is no evidence of what was meant to go in it. Andrew never had one made for himself. It was also true that Thomas was very much the head of the family and highly respected by the growing population of Melbourne.

In the room Maggie talks about Mary Matilda’s death. Infant death was quite common during 19th century and Mary Matilda’s death at age 6 was due to “affliction of the liver, complicated by jaundice” which implies hepatitis.

Dining Room

Maggie tells the true story of the ‘love triangle’ with Andrew, Mary and Thomas, in that Thomas was the one who originally asked Mary to marry him but she turned him down and did eventually marry Andrew instead. In fact it is said that Thomas told Andrew as he departed on a trip to Scotland, to bring back Mary any way he could (Thomas intended to marry her). Andrew stayed in Scotland for a few years and when he returned to Australia brought back Mary, as his wife with their first child. Maggie tells the true story of Thomas’ unhappiness which prompted Mary and Andrew to organise for Thomas to live with them at Werribee Park. And then his tragic suicide in the laundry.

Maggie also talks about how Mary, after the death of Thomas and then Andrew, lived in the huge house, virtually on her own (with only a few servants). She was given life tenancy in Andrew’s will. It was common in those days to leave assets only to the sons.

Servants’ Quarters

The classic Victorian houses had the servants quarters built as a separate section of the main house but usually tacked on at the back and completely without all the ornate trimmings. Maggie points out the drop in the height of the servants quarters’ ceilings which were built about 5 feet lower than the main house (and without elaborate cornices).

The Children grew up in the nursery wing of the servants’ quarters under the close care and direction of a governess. This gave the opportunity for the servants to get to know the children quite well. They met their parents (in their younger years) only on invitation by the parents.

Laundry

Maggie tells the true story of the fall of the pastoral empire and in particular Thomas Chirnside’s tragic suicide and final burial in Geelong. We can only guess as to why at aged 72 he chose to commit suicide but as Maggie explains, we do know that he suffered from depression and that in the year of his death the government was trying to redistribute land from wealthy squatters to smaller farmers , signifying the beginning of the end of the power of the wealthy squatting families. These factors are highly likely to be major contributors to his suicide. Outside the laundry, Maggie tells the actual details of the discovery of Thomas’ body from the actual Coroner’s Report. Maggie also talks about the change in wage structure with unions demanding fairer hours and more pay. Servants were the last group of employees to come on board with these advances and it is thought this was due to servants being mostly female and brought up to believe this was their correct place in life.

Kitchen

Maggie explains she started at a young age as a scullery maid. This was the lowest job in the servants’ hierarchy, and as she describes, most servants were not permitted to be seen in the main house. She also talks in a joking way about ‘Jane’ and ‘Emily’ getting flattened from the mangle. A gross exaggeration of course, but the mangle was dangerous and many fingers were crushed as servants tried to push cloth through it. This scene brings comedy to Emily’s bustle where she sometimes hid things. The servants on the whole, would have worked very long hours and the work was often physically very hard. They did however have less social restrictions when not in the company of wealthy owners. They would have looked for opportunities to have fun and share laughter and wine.

Grand Staircase

Mr Duncan explains that the mansion was built in the Italianate style with many builders, tilers, designers etc brought from overseas. The Italian tilers have laid a few tiles in the wrong place. At the time it was done deliberately to reflect their understanding that only God is perfect and a tiny flaw shows that even master tilers are not perfect.

Carbide gas being the used for lighting. A new invention, but slightly poisonous to humans hence the inclusion of small holes in the flowers built into the ceiling to allow the gas to escape.

Acid Etched Window

As Mr Duncan describes, is one of the largest acid etched windows in Australia. Acid etching was a very difficult process and many injuries occurred in the process. The window reflects flora and fauna from Britain. No Australian animals or plants are included.

Mary’s Portrait

In her portrait, Mary is dressed very plainly, especially considering the opulence of the house. This may reflect the fact that she came from a humble background and was accustomed to a very practical and hardworking upbringing. Many Victorian women also followed the example of Queen Victoria ,who wore black after Prince Albert’s death for the rest of her life, by wearing black after the death of a member of the family.

Mary’s Bedroom

Maggie tells the true story of the terrible accident (Mary’s hair catching fire on a candle) which caused her death. Mary’s actual bedroom is downstairs near the staircase. She didn’t actually die in the bedroom itself but 3 days later in Colac hospital.

Saloon

As Mr Duncan describes, this is the main room for large social gatherings. The Chirnsides didn’t hold ‘balls’ but instead held formal cocktail parties. Ballrooms took up a lot of space and were more common in grand houses closer to the city. Having a whole wing for guests to stay, the saloon was their main entertainment area at night with the vestibule being built for the musicians to play.

Dame Nellie Melba performed in the vestibule at a few of these parties. The acoustics in the vestibule are quite remarkable and worth trying out if you visit the mansion during the day.

Maggie’s Song

Maggie refers once again to the bell system in the house. This would have been extremely tiring for servants who had to walk a long way, often carrying heavy things such as trays, baths filled with hot water etc. The song also tells how they cleaned at night. When guests were staying at the Mansion, cleaning was at times done at night by servants not to be seen by family or guests during the day.

Also because servants were much busier with cooking, cleaning, laundry when guests stayed and so extra polishing and dusting could only be squeezed in at night. She also talks about the servants receiving a paid trip back to Scotland after 25 years of service. This is true and reflected the longevity of staff who were really privileged (compared to other jobs at the time) to work in such a grand house, and therefore chose to remain as long as they could (even including other family members where possible).

Farewell

Mr Duncan acknowledges King Edward VII having taken over from Queen Victoria. “ Mr Chirnside and his family may be gone but they’ll never be forgotten, will they Maggie?. “

Alaine Beek