A white goat pulls a wooden cart full of sticks with a small smiling child sitting on top, two barefooted little girls stand nearby and an older boy holds the reins of the goat. These children may be assisting their parents by collecting the firewood to fuel their mother's stove or perhaps for the big copper for washing day. Even the youngest of them are able to gather the fallen twigs and light branches that appear to make up their load.

Chores such as this were carried out by most children, in town and country, during the 19th and first half of the 20th century. As city families became better off, children might expect to receive small sums of pocket money for carrying out household chores, but for country children it was still part of what was expected of them. Their chores might extend to helping with the harvest, milking cows or feeding stock.

Building a light weight goat cart

Involving kids in tasks and chores

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. To be a child August 2004-