Living History

The smell of bread

When I was a young child growing up in the Southern Highlands of NSW, I always cherished my mother’s cooking. Dad worked out on the farm all day, milking the cows and feeding all the livestock, while my brothers and sisters and I stayed inside and helped mum around the house. I would always make sure I got a job in the kitchen, even if it was just drying the dishes. The smell of dinner cooking in the oven and watching her swan around the room putting together our meals always fascinated me.

But my favourite times were always when she made bread. Since we were so far from town, mum liked to bake herself rather than wait to be driven into town. I remember countless times watching the steam rise from the loaf as it came out of the oven and drinking in that wonderful smell. To this day walking into bakeries makes me think of that little kitchen and my mother working away.

Georgetta, Southern Highlands, New South Wales

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