Summary

This photograph depicts two women and a man taking tea on the verandah of a North Queensland home. In addition to the cuffs of his pants and his laced leather shoes, which are clearly visible under the table, the rest of the man is only faintly visible, probably as a result of motion while the photo was taken. The outline of his face can be seen in the hair of the woman on the left as well as the pale blur that probably represents the man placing his hand on the woman's shoulder. The women themselves appear to be clothed in lightweight blouses and skirts, appropriate for the North Queensland climate. A cockatoo sits on the back of a chair at the table. In addition to the cockatoo in the foreground, a small wicker birdcage hangs from the roof.

The house has an exposed timber frame with chamferboard cladding, which is characteristic of North Queensland houses of the time. The timber balustrade lining the verandah and the lattice work that can be seen beyond the balustrade are also common to houses built in North Queensland in the late 1800s and early 1900s. An assortment of timber furniture can be seen around the verandah, including squatters' chairs with lattice backing, wicker chairs, a small foot rest and a glass-fronted cabinet. The verandah often functioned as an "outdoor" living room and lighter materials, such as woven cane, were often selected for outdoor furnishings because it was better suited to the climate than the heavier upholstered furnishings with hardwood frames considered appropriate for a proper living room.

The photographs in this collection were taken by the Reverend Frederic Charles Hall (1878-1926) during the period 1902-1909 when he was the Anglican Curate appointed to Georgetown in North Queensland. Hall's foremost hobby was photography. He used both a half-plate camera with tripod made by J. Lancaster & Son, Birmingham and a quarter-plate Austral No. 3 made by the Australian company, Baker & Rouse. Glass negatives from Ilford and Austral were used; developing was done by the photographer himself and printing by exposure to sunlight.