Yeh watso, I remember the thunder box, although the first one we had was a long drop at Mt Shank near Mt Gambier, now that was pretty terrerfying for a little kid and bathing was a wet cloth.
I'm the dude with the braces, long drop in the back ground.
We had the thunder box at Lucindale but no thunderbox collector, that task was up to us kids.
Washing was bucketing the water from a well with a hand pump to a copper in the laundry and then when it was boiling, bucket the water into the bath room, and yes once a week.
Couldn't find an image of copper, they must be too old.