MATTERS OF FAMILY - DIARY ENTRY 1

Happenings at Home,
January - March 1914
Matters of Family

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Father’s store is flourishing. Summer arrived with a vengeance this year and Coogee Bay is drawing more and more people. It is getting positively crowded at weekends with sunbathers from miles away seeking out the sands and the cool waters.  Father talks of expanding the store further or opening another at the southern end by the seaside. He has already added a range of household merchandise to his emporium which seems to attract good custom, although Mother is still concerned about the hours he keeps, working seven days beginning each at 5am and closing only in the late afternoon. He only recently elected to open on Sundays and is the only store to do so for many miles. I think he was heartened by a recent article in the Herald which suggested only a small minority of people would want to enforce restrictions on Sunday trading in these modern times. Father is buoyed by the trade, with people travelling from neighbouring areas to get produce, some even by motor car from as far as Petersham, as well as the steady stream of bathers wanting a cooling drink.

Mother convinced Father to import two new General Electric toasters under the guise that he could offer them for sale and perhaps use one himself. But Father insists on stoking the cooker in the mornings to brown his toast over flames. The house is hellish hot after he leaves and stays that way all day. Poor Mother.

As you know Albert turned 22 this past February.  He left his job at the glassworks soon after.  That is three jobs in the past year. He is helping Father in the store and doing more than his share of service with the Citizen Forces’ 21st.  I would not be surprised if he were to enlist in the Permanent Forces soon.  He was promoted to Sergeant in January and talks only of the life of a soldier and service to King and Country.  Now he has achieved your rank, Mother decided he could have your old uniform as a spare. I freely admit he is a fine soldier and perhaps regular soldiering is what he needs to realise himself, although I ask on your return that you have words with Albert about treating me fairly when on parade.  I seem to take the worst of jobs and despite his assurances to the contrary, I think he enjoys seeing me toil.  I freely admit I am not as strong as he or you but it serves no purpose to prove that to the other lads of A Company.

Walter has now almost two years’ service in the Citizen Forces.  I think our youngest brother’s posting to H Company, and out of Albert’s reach, has been most beneficial and Walter seems much in favour with the Command. Like Albert, he too is considering a career in the military.  He spoke at dinner of putting forward for officer training at the new military college at Duntroon, which is inland near where they intend to build our new capital Canberra. I think having his little brother training as an officer would quite disconcert Albert – General Walter Murray, imagine! Walter will need to maintain favour and work hard to secure his place at the college. The Royal Military College prides itself on accepting only the brightest and the best. He will need to sit an examination against hundreds of lads from all over Australia and New Zealand. Only 30 cadets are selected each year. Father seems favourable to the idea, perhaps as much because Walter would get a first class education but also because unlike Sandhurst, there are no fees. In fact, Cadets at Duntroon get £30 for uniforms and the like on appointment, and a daily allowance of 5 shillings and sixpence to meet expenses. Mother is less excited about the prospect. While four years of paid study is attractive, she holds no joy at the prospect upon graduation that young Walter would serve two years overseas, most likely in India or perhaps England. As you will recall she was not delighted at your departure for New Guinea. Walter’s CO is supportive and is confident Walter would excel in the examination. Walter will enquire about the examination toward the end of summer.

In the meanwhile he continues happily in the office of Messrs White & Barn Engineers, although his offices at Randwick have moved to Newtown. It is now some distance each day but he has taken to riding a bicycle which Father secured for him at great cost.  The ride seems to favour him but I cannot imagine why. Father offered Walter better terms than with me, requiring only 2 shillings each pay to reimburse the principal. (I am too happy with my machine to raise the discrepancy, nor do I want to tempt fate that Father might retreat from the deal and sell it on.) 

Little Lizzie is doing well in her studies. She and mother have conspired to promote the notion to Father that Elizabeth would be suited to further study at University. She talks of Law as a career. I think Father secretly supports the cause but he takes every opportunity to stoke Lizzie’s ire, most recently deriding the new University Women’s Union at Sydney as an abomination.  Over supper he suggested Lizzie might also play Rugby for the university.  She huffed off without cake which caused Father enormous mirth.   Although only 16, she and Mother are kindred spirits and share much discussion on events.  I think Lizzie is older than her years and I am not certain if Mother influences Lizzie or vice versa.

Upon your return I urge you to take seriously the changing mood in terms of feminine actions and demands, particularly in our own house.  Mother and Lizzie take any and all news of the suffragettes, particularly in the Mother Country, quite earnestly and I have unlike father learned to concede to their points rather than offer question.  Father’s digestion has suffered for his humour.  I enjoy mother’s cooking too much to engage in such folly. 

At first I was perplexed by their solidarity with the women of Britain on this issue.  After all our country has long enfranchised women, granting equal voting rights for most when we were young boys.  But mother is adamant the disparity in Britain is a blight on the Empire. She is not alone. Reports of Australian women travelling to England in solidarity and support are commonplace. In England protests on the rights to vote and equal pay have led to great public disorder and Australian women have been standing beside their ‘sisters’ from the Old Country.  I must concede, having grown up knowing of female suffrage in our own land, it does seem odd they would deny such a simple right. The issue of equal pay however is another story. Mother and Lizzie are adamant that Australian women doing the same job as a man should earn the same money – not just half. They do not take kindly to the argument that work is a temporary diversion for women who will ultimately abandon their employer for husband, home and family. Consider this a warning if you again want Mother’s shepherd’s pie.

All cousins are also doing well and no news to convey.