I emigrated fomo the U.K. , November 1952 on assisted passage at 17.y.o. straight from school to start work on a farm in Western Queensland. As a kid I loved the heat but oddly found it rather cold out there in the winter. The houses were built to allow the air to circulate and had overhanging eaves and wide verandahs.


While cooling off in my comfortable air-conditioned home, I wonder what summer was like for my ancestors. How did they attempt to keep cool during intense heat waves without the modern advancements we enjoy? How did they make the most of their summers?
The first modern electrical air conditioning unit was invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier in Buffalo, New York. Air conditioning for residential homes was introduced in the 1920s. It wasn’t until the post-World War II economic boom that air conditioners became commonplace in homes. In 1953, over 1 million units were sold.
So how did our ancestors, who lived before air conditioning, survive the heat? In many different ways!
- Many community buildings in hot areas were built on hilltops or rises to catch more breeze during the summer.
- Houses were built with breezes in mind. Each window had another on the opposite side of the house with a doorway between to catch the maximum breeze.
- People would bathe at night and go to bed damp.
- They would blow air over sheets soaked in ice water.
- Attic fans were installed.
- People would sleep out under the stars on their porches.
Although these solutions sound much less effective than air conditioning, our ancestors didn’t know any better, and they were used to dealing with the heat.
When I look back at photos of my ancestors enjoying long summer days, I realize they weren’t really missing anything at all. I see the kids splashing in the water, and the adults looking on, everyone enjoying each other’s company. Life may have been different back then, but people still knew how to make the most of it and have a good time.
How did your ancestors beat the summer heat?
John Bratton
July 25, 2016
I was born in June of 1936, the hottest summer on record. In order to keep the mothers and newborns (me) cool, the hospital brought in fans and blocks of ice which they placed in the room windows (they could open!). That summer and the next hundreds of people spent nights sleeping on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto to take advantage of the breeze coming off the shore of Lake Ontario