I have no idea I’ve even asked a couple of the local antique shops out of curiosity , all I can come up with it’s a “pot stick” as Aussies calked a stick to get hot washing out of a copper , like sheets / towels clothing that was boiled to get things clean / sanitised It’s just over 2 foot long I know I posted a photo of this either on here or the crafty forum some time ago so I’m posting it again if it was here Ive already posted before ( I had a good clean out of walk in pantry today …..that started by looking for a little bottle of spice and this surfaced while cleaning
Because this area was mainly populated by people who immigrated from Cornwall UK who knows what it may have been used for ? you would expect it to show signs of being used in boiling / soapy water if it used to a pot stick but it may not have ever been used for that purpose . I bought it in a charity shop around 2005 ~ 2006 @Beth Gallagher
Even if it was a large spurtle for stirring porridge for a crowd, spurtles are round and smooth so that they do not compress the porridge...the porridge gently flows around them. That's why they use a spurtle instead of a spoon. And this claims to be a laundry stirrer: Perhaps it's a walking aid for a little person: The cane! The cane! (sorry)
I found this similar looking thing ( only it appears to be flat ) described as Equipment , laundry stick , 20th Century so it’s a fair bet it’s a “pot stick” as we called them https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/57ecb9fdd0cdd12be41ee404
Darn, Kate. Good investigative skills. You're hired! I couldn't find any sticks longer than what you might use in a modern kitchen.
I googled vintage laundry items John what’s my starting salary @John Brunner I want sick pay , 6 weeks annual leave , a 4 day working week and a BMW car ..so there …