Tea Time!

There’s no doubt that the tea enjoyed in these old Queensland settings was made and consumed in the English manner. Anything else would cause social disgrace. Possibly the end of the world.

Earnest research into the art of the English cuppa led to some startling discoveries.

Afternoon Tea in the Garden.

It’s not the size of the table that matters, it’s the size of the hat.
Afternoon tea in the garden, Gympie, ca 1907
  • The British drink over 100 million cups of tea daily. (I think they mean collectively, otherwise nothing would get done, particularly Empire-building.)
One of the most charming photographs of 19th century family life. Taking tea in the garden, 1890s.
  • The tea must be made with boiling water. A roiling boil, mind you. Steep your brisk, black tea for 3-5 minutes, depending on taste.
Braddock family taking tea at Hathershaw, Maryborough, ca. 1908. How could so many children manage to be so clean and well-behaved all at once? Fear. Of. God.
  • A genuine teapot is essential. Ideally, it should be UK-made, says the website. Presumably, the steeping tea leaves can detect the nationality of the vessel in question and will respond with disdain if placed in something foreign.

Taking tea on the verandah.

The Trackson family take afternoon tea on the verandah of ‘Sedgley Grange,’ Newmarket, c. 1900-1910. The Tracksons loved to document their lives in photographs, and their trove of pictures is one of the best resources for those looking for images of old Brisbane.
  • Whole milk and white sugar can be added to an English cup of tea, “not cream or honey.” The very idea. And don’t even consider a slice of lemon.
The awkward moment Marjorie realised that Gertrude was a milk-in-firster. Taking tea on the verandah, c 1910.
  • “The proper British cup demands whole milk rather than cream or non-dairy options.” Make sure you have whole milk on hand, or the cup may become very demanding indeed. Possibly abusive.

The indoor tea party.

I suspect that spontaneous moments were rare in this household. John Living and family c. 1890.
  • A tea strainer is essential when brewing loose-leaf tea. Tea bags were unheard-of in the 19th and early 20th centuries, let alone leaving a tea bag in a cup while drinking tea.
Try not to look like you’re enjoying yourself, Edith. Matron might be just around the corner! Nursing staff at Royal Brisbane Hospital take afternoon tea, 1899.
  • Warm the teapot first, and use a tea cosy. Failure to use a warmed teapot can drop the temperature required to extract the flavour of black teas.

Tea beyond the garden.

Not as picturesque a table setting, but it’s nice to have a cup of tea with the fam. Afternoon tea in the kiosk at Nielson Park, Bundaberg, 1920.
  • “2% milk works as an acceptable substitute in American kitchens.” Americans. They were colonials too, you know.
Sometimes, all you need to enjoy afternoon tea is a scenic spot, family and a good cuppa. Afternoon tea at Capalaba Creek, 1918.
  • Milk in first?? Although the website permits individual discretion in the matter of milk in first or milk in last, the debate has raged across generations. One’s entire social future could depend on when one chose to lift the milk jug.
And sometimes, the outdoors is too outdoorsy. The fashionable young ladies here seem to be coping with afternoon glare, possibly flies or dust, nowhere to sit, and a rather primitive tea service. The chaps don’t seem to mind, but then chaps don’t have to wear skirts, corsets or elaborate flowered hats, do they? Group of men and women having a tea party at the Mackay showgrounds, 1906.

All images are taken from the digital collections of the State Library of Queensland and are out of copyright. AI colourisation by CoPilot.

The information on English tea-making comes from the website Teadelight.net, “How to brew tea like the English: the proper way to make a cup of British tea.”

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