Tea Towels.

Successfully completed my first day within the New Year having walked over 10,000 steps with a few concerns that I’de be celebrating in the morgue. Brisbane City is hot and humid in summer and the building work happening in preparation for the 2032 Olympic Games makes it a minefield.

So what teased us out of the dozy comfort of suburbia by the Bay?

A display of souvenir tea towels  produced from the 1950’s up until ten years ago from all across the state of Queensland. After all, haven’t we all purchased or been gifted a colourful tea towel reminding us of a holiday somewhere down the line?

Queensland To A T at the State Library is a fascinating exhibition of tea towels collected by local Glenn R Cooke, who also has a penchant for tablecloths, aprons and wall hangings that depict a particular time of the State’s cultural history. Many of the tea towels on display were money spinners from tourist destinations whilst some featuring politicians were political fundraisers.

I was always a sucker for a pretty tea towel; they were inexpensive and practical and lasted for years. Just take a peek inside my linen press. Not so inexpensive these days though I do have a couple that I purchased with a view to framing because I liked the artwork.

My favourite go anywhere carry-all is made from recycled tea towels. It’s strong and reversible and is a reminder of favourite townships on the East Coast of Tasmania.

And tea towels sure beat snow domes, don’t they? The Exhibition closes at the end of January.

We completed our day as tourists by walking through cosmopolitan West End and sampling some fine bevys at the Brisbane Gin Distillery. It’s amazing how many extra steps you can manage when carrying a couple of refreshing gins within.