Billy tabs

These brass billy tabs were used by trampers when cooking over open fires or hot stoves. They are stamped with the following words: custard, milk, tea, stew, potatoes, hot water, porridge, fruit. They were attached to cooking pots (known as billies) so that people would know what was being cooked without having to lift the lid of a hot billy.

Tararua Tramping Museum Trust

These items are from the collection of the Tararua Tramping Museum Trust, which was established in 1989 to acquire and display tramping artefacts. These tabs were selected to represent developments in tramping equipment and aspects of the tramping experience including cooking and hut life.