These last few months I have been immersed in all things west Coast, in particular Queenstown.
I’ve been working my way through photos from the Galley Museum, selecting those that interest me, usually the ladies in black, and the old shacks with the tiny jet black windows.
What I am finding intriguing is the contrast between the ‘dirty’ mine and the ‘keeping up of appearances’ of the community.The extreme weather and tough conditions of mining and living on the west coast. Snow and ice saw roads closed for months at a time. Ir was cold and continually wet and black mold soon took hold both inside and outside of homes, Still ladies squeezed into their corsets and fine petticoats, donned on their satin dresses and over plumaged hats.
