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rapunzel

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I just love e-bay and all its little treasures. Feast your eyes on these marvels of modern cookery. Let me start with St George, my all-time favorite brand. I'd have this over stainless steel any day. What follows offers a cultural snapshot of genuine kitchen Australiana, once designed and built in this magnificent and sunburnt country for a magnificent and sunburnt people. What you see represents a design heritage that will soon be lost forever - snif snif <:( Only to be replaced by homogenous imports for people morbidly obsessed with sunscreen, money and status. When these beautiful stoves were gracing our kitchens, Australians considered themselves laid-back, easy-going and fair-minded. We used to call ourselves 'egalitarian' and our national motto was 'a fair go for everyone.' Now that we are cooking on imported stainless steel all we hear is 'me, me, me!!!'

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/St-George-up...ryZ20712QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
This particular style was very popular for many decades

It is reminiscent of early electric and gas stoves of the 1920's and 30's. A really useful design for people with impaired mobility, particularly those in wheelchairs. I understand that this design is still available upon special request, but one doesn't see them displayed at retailers anymore.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Chef-Electri...ryZ20712QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
How could they...

let this little beauty fall into such disrepair. Shamefile! At least the owner knows what the griddle plate is for. Now they don't call them that anymore either. On new ranges they are referred to as tapanyaki plates - wank, wank, wank ;o). I mean, like, would it be considered cullinary heresy if I cooked buttermilk pancakes on a tapanyaki plate?

I understand that restoration of vintage stoves/ranges is a growing business in the US. I haven't seen this trend emerge in Australia, yet. I would love to know if there is someone available locally, who could turn this into showroom condition once more. Have been through the yellow pages and googled, to no avail.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1960s-STOVE-...egoryZ82QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
The link to the first stove, it has the fat coils Frigidaire stoves in the US had here. It kinda looks like a Frigidaire electric stove.
 
The first one looks sort of like a Maytag Gemini with the small mini oven above the larger oven, is that what it is?

BTW on the griddle stove.. he mentions frying your snags? What are snags LOL
 
Memories and how ....

I had one of the St. George's at the top of the list, and my Aunt still has hers ... 30 years, 40 years on? They were indeed the pride-of-the-fleet in Australian kitchens.

The second last gas cooker was iconic in name as well, being known as the "Kooka" (cooker - you have to love early 20th century marketing), and having an emblem of a kookaburra on the oven door.

The last electric "European" looking one did have solid coils - a school friend's family had one in green in the early 60's. Each coil had three heats - low/med/high - and the lid closed down when you were finished - a very modern and novel touch in those times.
 
Thank you kindly for posting!

Gotta love the lack of a thermostat in the oven. L, M, H settings jsut like the surface elements!

My Granny's gas Royal Rose had no thermostat either!
It was similar in layout to the first items, only hers had legs and a storage drawer under the burners. Which were also, BTW, on the left side.
 

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