Item SH 910351 Refrigerator - Colda, 99/9, Cream, 1958 or later

Summary

Alternative Name(s): Fridge

Electric Colda 99/9 refrigerator, made in Australia. Rounded shoulders with extra-large storage capacity. The pristine interior is white with gold trim.

It was used by the donor and her family in Chadstone, Victoria, Australia, from 1958. It was their first fridge. The donor and her husband were married in 1953. At that time, they did not have any means of keeping food cold. After their marriage, the donor's sister gave them an ice chest, which they used as their principal means of refrigeration until 4 February 1958, when this refrigerator was delivered to them. The donor's mother lent the donor and her husband the money to buy this refrigerator; they then paid the donor's mother back at a rate of 10 shillings a week. The fridge is in excellent condition, despite being the family's only refrigerator for many years. Eventually the small freezer size encouraged the owner and her husband to replace this refrigerator with an upright, two-door fridge/freezer unit. The donor commented that the running costs of the new refrigerator were huge compared to the Colda. The Colda was not thrown out, rather it was stored by the owner with other no longer used white goods.

Physical Description

An extra-large, electric, cream metal refrigerator. DOOR: full height above silver metal grill at base. Decorative disk applied behind the handle, middle left. Decorative trim applied below the handle. Three hinges at right. HANDLE - pull down lever in shape of a hollow triangle with horizontal, corrugated pattern. BACK: exposed compressor unit. Black enamel panel and vertical electrical cord protector in centre of unit. INTERIOR: white enamel. Upper centre gold temperature dial with pinched, triangular knob on white plastic background. Directly under freezer compartment a sliding, cream, plastic tray with silver metal handle. 3 full width, removable wire shelves. 1 further shelf comprising 2 x 1/4 width wire shelves. White plastic shelf supports allowing for up to 12 possible shelving configurations, applied front and back. Bottom shelf removable, clear, mottled glass. Sliding plastic drawer with gold band under glass shelf. Centre middle, light behind opaque glass bubble with cream rubber surround. FREEZER COMPARTMENT - enamelled door with clear plastic casing, hinged at bottom. A gold band runs across the top. One large compartment inside. DOOR - white enamel with cream rubber seal. 5 full width, fixed compartments . Upper 2 and lower 2 with removable fronts, middle compartment a hinged door. The top compartment has moulded impressions for 9 eggs.

Significance

This was the donor's first fridge. The donor and her husband were married in 1953. At that time, they did not have any means of keeping food cold. After their marriage, the donor's sister gave them an ice chest, which they used as their principal means of refrigeration until 4th February 1958, when this refrigerator was delivered to them. The donor's mother lent the donor and her husband the money to buy this refrigerator; they then paid the donor's mother back at a rate of 10 shillings a week. The fridge is in excellent condition, despite being the family's only refrigerator for many years. Eventually the small freezer size encouraged the owner and her husband to replace this refrigerator with an upright, two-door fridge/freezer unit. The donor commented that the running costs of the new refrigerator were huge compared to the Colda. The Colda was not thrown out, rather it was stored by the owner with other no longer used white goods.