The Bush Has Its Heroines Too

Tragedy In Far Outback

Many are the tales of tragedy, failure, and success which the Australian bush has yielded from time to time. Silent and lonely, the outback is the home of folk whose love, loyalty, and dogged perseverance is a legacy to be cherished for all time. This week 'Far North' recounts a typical bush tragedy of the early days.

Time has long since levelled the little mound of the back of the old bush hut, where 40 years ago the mulga scrub stabbed and tore an heroic mother. It would be hard to imagine a more lonely spot, 30 miles from the station, with no neighbors, and even the old mail road that would perchance bring a passing swagman miles to the eastward.

Here a young boundary rider lived with his wife and child dreaming their dreams and planning for the future. They even considered them \selves lucky in having a well of fresh water when so many were living on water so brackish that fathers would ride far to fill their waterbags with fresh water and take it home 'just for the baby.'

A boundary rider's work was a full time job, the paddocks were large, and with dingo trapping and other work there was little spare time at home. This man 'worked' his paddock in the usual way. Early in the morning, while his child was still sleeping, he would ride away through the middle of the paddock until he reached the fence at the far end, when he would return home along the fence, doing each half on alternate days, sometimes returning from the north and on other days from the south. But no bush plans run to schedule.

The young wife busied herself about the house, and all mothers know how hard it is to keep their eye on a healthy child just toddling, particularly on washing day. This child, unknown to his mother, followed a pet lamb to the sheep troughs. It was late in the afternoon, and as soon as she missed him she searched frantically in the scrub about the house, and eventually went to the troughs, where she found him face down in the water — dead.

Snatching him in her arms she ran along the south fence to meet her husband, and wandered on weeping through the scrub until night set in.

Meanwhile her husband returned home along the north fence, and letting his horse go at the yard a little distance away, walked to the hut. He became alarmed immediately when he saw signs of the housework being abruptly stopped. He searched and called through the bush, and eventually found his wife's tracks leading along the fence.

Catching his horse again he hurried along, and in the gathering darkness saw where the tracks veered away from the fence, and soon they were lost in the night. Listening and calling he rode recklessly in the darkness, but not until late in the night did he find his wife, hopelessly lost, crying bitterly, and faithfully carrying their wet dead babe.

Then came the return to the darkened home, the long ride to the station, and the loneliness of the broken-hearted mother keeping vigil over her dear dead until her husband's return. In this case there was none-of the usual delay so often connected with deaths in the bush, and the little grave was just one more added to many.

The young mother went away to the south, saying she could never again live in the wild, cruel bush. - "Far North."

90-Year-Old Advertisement

Adelaide was early supplied with educational institutions. Among them was the South Adelaide Classical and Commercial Academy, conducted by a Mr. Berjew. who announced the resumption of the duties of the school on Wednesday, the twelfth day of January, 1848 (ninety years ago), and that in future it would be conducted by Messrs. Berjew and Barford.

The course of instruction would include reading, writing, arithmetic, book keeping (single and double entry}, grammar, geography, history, "&c., &c.," on the following quarterly pay-ments:— Board and tuition for 'young gentlemen' above the age of eight years, six guineas; under that age, five guineas; washing, ten shillings and sixpence. Each boarder would be provided with 'a separate bed.' and would be expected to bring six towels, a knife and fork, and a spoon. A quarter's notice would be required previous to the removal of a pupil, or a quarter's payment. The extras would be Latin, French, Greek, mathematics, music, and drawing, for each of which the charge would be one guinea. Day pupils would be taken at one guinea per quarter for 'young gentlemen' above the age of eight years, and half a guinea for those under that age. In an 'N.B.' it was stated that special attention would be given to the moral and spiritual welfare of the pupils, and that there was an excellent playground.

Mrs. Berjew informed her friends that the North Adelaide Seminary would resume duties on January 12th, 1848, that she had now the means to instruct her pupils in music and that the young ladies would be provided with a writing-master. At the same time, Mrs. Allen announced her intention of opening an Educational Establishment at the west end of North Adelaide for a select number of young ladies. She proposed, with the assistance of her daughter, to give her pupils a sound, superior English education, to combine the discipline of the school with the comforts of home. For music, French, Italian and German the best masters would be provided.

Mr. Allen would assist in the higher departments, drawing, painting, elocution, literary composition, and such of the physical sciences as were usually acquired by cultivated women in the Mother Country. He would also cheerfully introduce such of the pupils as may be desirous of it to the classical languages of antiquity. Boarders would be limited to twelve at thirty-five to forty guineas per annum; day boarders, four guineas per quarter; day pupils, two guineas per quarter. All kinds of fashionable needlework, netting, knitting, and crochet, with drawing and poetry included. Music, French, Italian, and German extra. Ladies expected to bring their own spoons, a knife and fork and six towels. — F.S.W.