‘More than you’re ever going to find,’ says Pa. ‘But never mind you got a good head on your shoulders.’
At last, there’s a committee been set up to do the decorations. So Reggie and me don’t have to get all the kids round the Rocks making streamers which is a relief I can tell you. I was wondering what Ma would have to say when I set up making them on her new table.
There’ll be a big procession and festivities planned for a whole week. And a carnival on the harbour with all the ships decorated. Then there’ll be a choir of school kids and horse races and cricket matches and fireworks at night of course. There’s twenty-five members on the committee. They got £20,000 to spend. That’s twice as much as the lights in Dublin cost when the Queen paid a visit.
25th October, Thursday
There was a big fire out on the harbour last night. The steam ferry, Kangaroo, went up in flames over near Lavender Bay. We woke up when we heard the fire engines and Pa took me and Fred and Artie down to Dawes Point to see it. Reggie and his pa were there too. They think it must have started about 10 only there was no sign of fire before then. Mr Cook said it was probably below decks but before they knew it the whole boat was in flames from end to end. Artie said, ‘It’s just like fireworks, only better,’ and Pa said he weren’t to talk like that because no-one could save it.
The fire brigade from North Sydney come down but had to keep pulling their hoses off the tracks whenever a train come past and all the passengers were hanging out the window for a look. A fire engine come from Circular Quay too and both of them poured water at it, only they couldn’t get close enough to stop the flames. It were police boats and steam ferries in the end that stopped it cos they could get in close.
On the way back Reggie and me started walking real slow while the others went on ahead. Next thing Reggie’s grabbed my hand and is squeezing. Just then Pa turns round and I think he sees us, only all he says is, ‘Hey, you two snails. Get a move on or we’ll lose you.’
26th October, Friday
Mr Oliver’s looked at twenty-three places for a capital city and says there’s only three worth considering. That’s Monaro, Orange and Yass-Canberra. Now all we have to do is wait for the MPs to make up their minds, whenever that’ll be.
27th October, Saturday
The government’s been asking other countries could they maybe send troops to march in our parade for Federation. The Viceroy of India’s sending a hundred officers and horses and the Queen says she’ll send some of her household cavalry.
29th October, Monday
Pa went down to the Herald today to check up on the latest on the war. He says there’s always crowds looking at the photos and the big map that shows where the troopers are now. New South Mounteds have captured two Krupp guns and four wagons at a place called Rensburg Drift. Reggie says Krupps are the big guns made by the Germans.
31st October, Wednesday
Queen Victoria’s favourite grandson has died in South Africa. Not the one coming out to open our parliament. Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein. He died of typhoid in hospital in Pretoria. It makes you think but, just how lucky Bertie was. The Queen’s very old and her health’s not good, and this has left her feeling very down.
Mrs Kruger’s still in Pretoria. Isn’t that odd? Wouldn’t you think he’d have taken her with him to Holland. Anyway he’s sent a message telling her to trust in the Lord and look up Psalm 91. You’d think he would have said something a bit more friendly.
1st November, Thursday
Our house is ready to move in. Monday. There’s teams of men out working on houses as fast as they can and you can see the rows going up either side of streets where the old houses were before. And not dumped higgledy-piggledy one on top of the other either. Ma can’t wait. She’s tired of the hall and looking forward to having her own kitchen and washhouse again.
2nd November, Friday
The plague may be over but Pa says there’ll be some people that’s never the same again. Some families lost their breadwinner and now there’s no money coming in. Others lost a mother and there’s little ones without someone to care for them. And all those people that lost businesses, when someone died or no-one would go near them after. You can still see shops closed that haven’t opened again.
The Paines have picked up again, but I wonder what happened to Mrs Dudley. Her children were all grown up so they’d be all right. She used to be a teacher back in England, but that were a long time ago. And there must be lots of others we’ll never know what happened.
3rd November, Saturday
The Premier plans to take back the land from George to Fort Street as far as Princes, then from Charlotte Place to Argyle Street. It’s not as if it’s a nice area he says. There’ve been rookeries crammed in there from the very early days. But with wider streets and bits of park it will look really good for Federation. But Ma says what right’s Sir William got talking about rookeries as if we was perched like seagulls where we had no business to be. She says it’s all very well for him in his fancy house talking like that. Round the Rocks we don’t always get the chance to choose where we live.
Only 58 days to Federation.
5th November, Monday
We’ve moved in! Today! Miss Collins let us have the day off school and we spent the morning carrying bundles of clothing and pots and pans and bedding up from Harrington Street. Then the table Ma bought come this afternoon and the chairs. The beds’ll be here Thursday. None of us minded but, we’ve been sleeping on the floor for so long now what does a couple more nights matter, specially when it’s in our own house. Maisie and Artie spent the whole time running up and down the stairs till Ma said if they didn’t stop she’d send them straight back to Ragged School and they could live there permanent. But come bedtime they were so worn out they went straight off to sleep without a peep out of either.
6th November, Tuesday
Melbourne Cup today. There were twenty-seven horses supposed to run only Pa said that were too many, there’d be some scratched for sure. He read out all the names and Maisie said she wanted Bride only I said maybe Grizzle would be better. Ma told me to hush up. Artie wanted Wait-a-Bit cos he’s slower than Fred and always having to catch up. Anyway Pa said he’d shout us each a tanner to see if we could pick the winner and he’d be bookie. So we wrote down the names of our horses on bits of paper. Ma and me had the favourites, Lancaster and Severity. We won’t know till tomorrow’s paper what won so we’ll just have to wait.
7th November, Wednesday
The favourites came nowhere. None of the horses we picked even got a place so we lost, only when Pa come in tonight with the paper he had this big grin on his face, wide as wide, and said he’d picked the winner.
‘What won?’ we all said at once.
‘Clean Sweep,’ said Pa. ‘What else?’
Seems he didn’t know nothing about this horse, only it sounded good what with all the cleaning-up he’s seen. ‘It were 20–1 too,’ he said, only he wouldn’t tell Ma how much he’d put on even though Fred was dying to know. Ma looked cross and said we didn’t have the money to spare for horse racing.
Pa said, ‘But, Ma, this is the Cup. That’s different. It’s only once a year.’ Then he whispered in her ear how much he’d won. She said, ‘That much!’ Then she got a grin almost as wide as his. Then he said next Saturday he’s going to take us all over to Manly for the day.
Guess what? Reggie’s coming to Manly. Because he and his pa helped on our house, Pa wants to take him with us. I’m ever so pleased only I didn’t say so to Pa. They don’t know about Reggie and me.
9th November, Friday
Pa gave Ma some money to take us up town and buy us some new clothes. The boys’ pants are almost worn through and I’ve grown so much the last few months all my old dresses are too short. Ma said I needed something half decent to cover my legs. So she bought me two dresses, one for best. It’s real pretty, white with pin-tucking on the bodice and cotton lace on the sleeves and it
comes right down to touch the top of my boots. And I got a hat to go with it. Only Ma says to make sure it don’t blow off into the water cos she’ll not be buying me another.
10th November, Saturday
I’m tired out but there’s no chance I’ll sleep yet. I’m still that worked up after our day out. Ma were going to make sandwiches for us to eat on the beach but Pa said no need for that, he had everything planned.
Reggie come over about half past nine and we walked down to Circular Quay. Pa paid 6d for him and Ma, 3d each for us kids. Soon we were sitting out on the deck in the sun and the man’s loosened the ropes and he’s pulling the gangway in and we’re on our way.
Pa had to shout at Freddy to get him away from the railing and Reggie held on to Artie when he tried to lean right out but Maisie wouldn’t leave Ma’s side all the way over, saying it were bumpy. It were nothing of the sort, just gentle up and down. Much nicer than the launch over to quarantine.
When we got to Manly wharf we had to walk up the street to get to the beach the other side and there’s all these pine trees, some quite tall, others not long planted and this lovely stretch of white white sand, only it’s packed with people already. You have to look hard for a bit just to sit down. Ma brung a blanket and Pa spread it out and Fred and Artie started right in making sandcastles.
There was people paddling and soon as Fred saw them he and Artie had their boots off and they’re running down to the water. Before you know it they’re up to their knees in it and Ma’s yelling if a wave come and dump them they got no other clothes to go home in. Maisie just wanted to build sandcastles and go nowhere near the water except for a bit to pour in her moat. Reggie helped her build a castle that were quite grand with a drawbridge and all.
Then next thing he asks if I want to go paddling. Ma give me a funny look and says I better change behind her. So I take off me boots and black stockings and we run down the water. It’s so cold at first it give me a shock but lovely when you get used to it. Only I have to hold my skirt up so it don’t get wet, all the time making sure my drawers aren’t showing, even if they are my best pair that Ma sewed lace on. But Reggie’s being ever so gentlemanly and holding my hand only so’s I don’t fall over in the water. He never once looks at me legs. Only that’s probably because he knows Ma’s watching him with hawk eyes from up the beach.
Anyway next thing Pa’s calling it’s time we tidied up and find one of them fancy tea shops for sandwiches and lemonade. He and Ma are dying for a cup of tea really. While the boys get their boots back on I hide behind Ma and wriggle back into me stockings and boots.
Then after lunch we go for this long walk right along the beach and Pa and the boys are out in front. Then comes Ma with Maisie, then me and Reggie lagging behind. Reggie don’t dare take my hand in broad daylight but. Not with Ma there.
When it starts to get late we head back to catch the ferry home. And Reggie and me move to sit up the front. Next thing the wind’s blown my new hat off and it lands on the deck and is just about to blow over when Reggie grabs it. Ma were cross with me when she heard for not hanging onto it, only ever so pleased with Reggie for saving it.
Then we come back into Circular Quay and walk slowly back up the hill home. And even though Maisie wanted Pa to carry her he said he were much too tired and this were one time she had to walk.
12th November, Monday
Mr Ah Han come round again today. Ma’s been able to talk a few people back into being customers, telling them the plague had nothing to do with him and he says business is starting to pick up again. Slow.
13th November, Tuesday
Pa come home tonight and said he had a surprise for Maisie only she had to guess. But just then there’s a tiny mew come from his coat pocket and it wriggles.
Maisie yells, ‘Me kitten!’
Pa hands her this tiny little fluff ball all stripy just like a tiger. Seems Elsie and Jess’s pa knew someone as was trying to find homes for kittens and they took one. Reggie’s pa’s got one for Eddy.
Straightaway Maisie picks it up and hugs it tight and Ma has to tell her it’s only little and to be gentle. Then Artie wants a nurse and then Fred. So by the time Tommy—that’s his name—got to bed in a box Pa’s fixed up in the kitchen, he’s fair worn out.
15th November, Thursday
The army says it wants more jam.
Ma said, ‘What on earth for?’
I says, ‘They must be making jam tarts and rolypolys for afternoon tea.’
Maisie and Eddy played kittens today. She says you can’t play dollies with a boy, only kittens is fine.
17th November, Saturday
The committee says everything’s under control and there’ll be decorations and illuminations and things like cycling and athletics and music and theatre programmes.
They’re even thinking of putting up a big statue on Fort Denison to show Australia Facing The Dawn. It’d have a lady looking out to sea and round her skirt there’d be little navigators and explorers like Captain Cook and Flinders and Stuart and Burke and Wills. Artie asked if there’d be any Aborigines round her too, only Pa says the government don’t usually put them on statues.
There’s 44 days to go still.
22nd November, Thursday
It’s funny to think that all over Australia there are people getting ready for Federation. In country towns as well as big cities. And there’s been sixty odes sent in to the competition as well as anthems and songs for children to sing on the day. And anyone that comes to Sydney will easily find somewhere to stay and they’re making railway tickets cheaper specially.
23rd November, Friday
Lord Hopetoun’s been sick with fever. So’s her ladyship.
I said, ‘Does that mean they got the plague?’
Pa says it’s more likely they got malaria, on account of they been to places like Ceylon where there’s plenty of mosquitoes.
25th November, Sunday
Dolly come over today and said she’s more certain than ever she wants to go nursing. She’s writing to tell the matron she hasn’t changed her mind and soon as the matron says yes she’ll tell her manager. There’s always girls looking for jobs so it shouldn’t be hard for him to replace her. And Ethel says she’ll find someone else to board with when Dolly has to live in.
29th November, Thursday
Lord Roberts is now on his way back to England. He says there’s not much left to do in the war and he’s left the tidying up to Lord Kitchener who’ll be in charge of the army from now on.
Bertie’s written to Pa telling him he’s sick of being on the move the whole time. The long marches are starting to get to him and soon as he’s back he plans to find himself a job in Sydney and stay put. No more wandering. Ma’s delighted, so am I. We both miss Bertie. He’s always good for a laugh, only Ma says he can come home for a bit but then has to find his own place. We may have a two-up two-downer now, but it’ll start getting pretty cramped if Bertie moves in.
1st December, Saturday
There’s going to be a Triumphal Arch over Pitt Street and at night everything’ll be lit up with bulbs. The Garden Palace Gardens and the Domain and Hyde Park even. Streets like Macquarie and Hunter will be lit too and Queen Square and Martin Place, then they’ll go right up Oxford Street. Then over in Moore Park there’ll be flagpoles up with lights strung between them.
Ma got a letter today from Mrs Alexander. She does have lovely handwriting. She said she’s buying herself a new sewing machine and would Ma like her old one? It’s a good treadle and hardly used and Ma said, ‘Would I ever! She must have read me mind,’ and she’s writing back straightaway to say yes please.
4th December, Tuesday
There’ll be arches in Park and College Streets and in Elizabeth and that’s not counting all the bunting and streamers that’s going up now.
There’s been no more talk of medals but every school kid’s to get a parchment with their name on it. It don’t sound too bad only Reggie and I would rather ha
ve a medal.
7th December, Friday
We broke up for school holidays today and I felt really sad because it were my last day at Ragged School. Ma and Pa come to see our concert where we sang carols and Fred and I got certificates for Good Work. Then Miss Collins talked to the parents and told them all the things we’d done this year and how I’d won the essay prize. I could feel meself going red in front of all the parents and visitors. Only then she had me stand up and say a poem I’d learnt specially. She let me choose meself and I didn’t want to learn one of them long poems about burning ships. So I chose this one. It’s called, What Became of Them?
He was a rat, and she was a rat,
And down in one hole they did dwell,
And both were as black as a witch’s cat,
And they loved one another well.
He had a tail, and she had a tail,
Both long and curling and fine;
And each said, ‘Yours is the finest tail
In the world, excepting mine.’
He smelt the cheese, and she smelt the cheese,
And they both pronounced it good;
And both remarked it would greatly add
To the charms of their daily food.
Plagues and Federation Page 11