Volume 81: Emmeline Falbe letters, 1860-1894, and recollections, 1909

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I was born July 1828. I was baptized by Archdeacon Scott the head of the Church establishment in Australia under the Archbishop of Calcutta. I am called Emmeline after my Father's cousin Emmeline MacArthur of Camden afterwards Lady Parker, & Maria after my Mother.

I am writing now April 1909 for my sons. Trivial details may be necessary to explain the life around me in early days.

My first knowledge of my surroundings was a long low cottage forming two sides of a large grass square covering a huge tank of roof water for drinking purposes with a pump in centre, olive trees & roses growing in the square in which my brother kept his bantams. I have distinct recollections at five years of age of being led by a great Newfoundland dog "Watch" was the name, my hand in his mouth to meet my Father as he disembarked at the little jetty on his return by water from Sydney. I recollect being taken out to see that a large tree had been split by lightning near the cottage. After that comes the remembrance of laying the foundation stone of the large house which was completed in my eight year. I recollect my wonder to see my maternal grandmother King place real money under the stone.

I believe my next recollection is that of my cousin (afterwards Lady Parker) arriving in 1837 "have you heard the news the King is dead, of course we must all wear mourning, we shall have the young Queen now". My young brain speculated on all this outburst & I asked "will the young Queen wear clothes like that", pointing at a large painting on the wall. I wondered why they all laughed at me. At that period colonial governors were presented with oil paintings life size of the reigning majesties King & Queen in coronation robes. As the governor's widow they were now in my grandmother's possession & in their massive gilt frames they were placed in the drawing room & we children delighted in the robes as well as his Majesty's King George's legs and garter. Those pictures are now in the Government House Sydney.

I recollect details of the building & furnishing of that delightful home which formed the opposite sides of the square to the cottage, henceforth called the barracks or bachelor's quarters. Everything was done by workmen on the estate, building, furniture, & upholstery in temporary workshops at a distance. Our childish delight was to watch all these various works from the brick kiln to the carpenter's shavings.

The damask sofas and wardrobes were of choice Australian woods the floors were Kouri pine from New Zealand, in the diningroom 35 ft long without a break, & marble mantlepieces from the estate inland.

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Our large family-party consisted of four sisters & two brothers, forming the grown-ups. I had two brothers my senior able to lead me into mischief at all times, & a little brother & sister, who were counted the children.

The moonlight & starlight of Australia are indescribably beautiful, and in the hot weather our delight was to be allowed to go into the woods & chase the moon, & start the chorus of laughing jackasses by imitating their unearthly peals. We were encouraged to observe everything about us, insects & flowers, birds & beasts. We had our pet parrots & oppossums brought to us from the woods in their infancy. My white cockatoo, which called me by name, & which could fly round the house & in at my window, was banished ultimately to my great sorrow, because it acquired the habit of making holes with its powerful beak in the leaden water pipes. To this day the cry of a guinea-fowl or peacock takes my mind back to my childhood The guineafowl roosted in the trees near the house, the peacock walked about majestically, or screamed from the ridge of the stable roof. I recollect my delight when my mother brought me my first large doll from Sydney & I was taught how to dress it. I owe all my love for needlework & my proficiency in it to this early teaching. Our childhood was radiantly happy. A nursery governess who had come from a noble house in England cared for us. She afterwards married well, & never lost her interest in us. I was instructed in the "3 R's" & needlework was included in my lessons. I was taught every sort of work required in the making of a shirt from seam to button hole, as well as to mark it. Once that that accomplished I was allowed to choose for which brother I would make it. Of course I chose Jack. We kept rabbits & carried the young ones on to the lawn to nibble clover, more to our satisfaction than theirs I daresay.

I had a narrow escape from drowning in childhood. I had been with a picnic party down the river in the yawl, & when we returned & all the party left to walk to the house I lingered to watch the sails furled. The tide was up to the floor of the little jetty, I leant against the hand rail which broke, & down I went backwards into the water; my bonnet filled, my feet caught in the jetty; those in the boat heard nothing, but mercifully my brother & his friend were behind the others & looked round in time to realize my position and save me. I can recollect their taking me to the house choking with salt water, & being put to bed.

I recollect in 1840, Sir William Hobson arriving en route to New Zealand with his Secretary Mr. Willoughby Shortland who

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afterwards sent my Mother his notes of the first Governor's first meeting with the New Zealand Chiefs (Treaty of Waitungi [Waitangi]). I possess a copy of these notes.

I recollect Count Streletzki frequently at Vineyard; he went with my eldest Brother James, who had been educated in England an expedition, & discovered & named Gippsland. They were nearly starved & fed upon opossums killed by my Brother's Black Fellow, finally found themselves at Port Philip where some people had settled themselves. Count Streletzki was also first discoverer of Gold in Australia, but pledged by the Governor Sir George Gipps not to reveal the fact lest there should be a rising in the Colony amongst the convict population In after years the Count was often with us in London. He was knighted by the Queen.

I have an indistinct recollection of Baron Charles von Hugel, also an habitué, who sent my Mother her writing book which you know.

As soon as we were established in the large house my Grandmother King lived with us for the rest of her life. My Father built a stable for her use, she had her own carriage & pair, coachman, boy & maid. We were taught to reverence her. A handsome, tall, stately old lady with beautiful hair dressed high under a tulle cap, & a row of sausage shaped curls of false hair in front a la mode. She always sat at my Father's right hand at family prayers; I can see her now, always handsomely dressed, & generally wearing an embroidered apron, & some white lace or embroidery on her shoulders. Quite a picture. She used to give us children money as birthday presents, commencing at five shillings, and gradually increasing till the joyful day when an order for £1 was the gift. I recollect her celebrating "Twelfth Night", with all its old fashions for our amusement, to which our neighbours were invited.

Sunday was a happy day. The carriage called a "britska" held four, & one outside beside the coachman & went by the road three miles to the Church. My Grandmother's carriage only took two with a little seat which drew out in the centre & enabled her to invite any favoured visitor, or child to accompany her to her pew. I was generally the favoured child.

The overflow of servants & children were rowed up the river in a boat with a walk up the street of half-a-mile; & walked across some fields. All were expected to go to Church; a very bare edifice, the Pulpit perched on the top of the stairs, Organ loft at the back, voluntary choir, & clerk's desk under the Pulpit; square pews or single pews shut in with doors; black gown & long sermons. There were two ugly spires built by my Grandmother as a surprise during the Governor's absence. Frightful extinguishers. St. Johns Church Parramatta.

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At that time the large barracks at the Landing place were convict barracks, & I recollect my childish pity for those poor men in yellow clothes, watching our happy party through their prison bars. These lower iron barred windows were on a level with the pier. Later on the barracks were occupied by an English regiment & then our pleasure was to arrive in time to march with the regimental band to Church.

During my childhood men & women were transported to Botany Bay, or rather to Sydney, not only for serious crimes, but for offences which in these days are punished by a fine, or short imprisonment. On arrival they were placed in barracks, where a record existed for reference as to cause of transportation All employers of labour could make a personal selection, & have these servants assigned to them for the term of sentence. They paid them no wages, but were bound to provide fixed rations of meat, flour, tea, sugar, tobacco & clothes. After a time of good behaviour they could be recommended for tickets of leave then these men could take paid service, reporting themselves to Government at certain dates.

My father was a true philanthropist, & rescued many from a position of degradation to become not only good, but rich citizens later on. Those who behaved ill were "reported to Government" which meant to be herded with criminals, & incorrigibles in iron gangs on public works. It was a pitiful sight, which I can recollect, to meet troops of these men with leg irons, marched out to their daily labour, guarded by soldiers Corporal punishment followed complaints from employers.

With kind considerate employers, these men spent many years in good & faithful service, but tyrannical masters caused the ruin of many either by there [their] being returned to the iron gang for punishment, or by their "bolting" to the Bush, i.e. bushranging. To such an extent was this bushranging carried on that a mounted police was organized to capture these desperadoes, if they had ever shed blood, they might be taken "dead or alive". They stopped "drays" carrying supplies, robbed the scattered homesteads, & were often sheltered by convicts in employment, within reach. I find that transportation was suspended in 1839, was practically renewed in 1848, and under strong protest from free Colonists it ceased in 1853. I believe the last effort in that direction was the despatch, under Lord Ashley's influence of "first offenders" of which a ship-load came to Morton [Moreton] Bay 1852 - 3 & were ironically called "Ashley's Pets". Several of these lads came to Canning Downs before we left, & will be dealt with separately, with some true stories of convicts, & bushrangers for which I can vouch, later on.

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Although my Father had many convict servants, he at no time allowed any to enter the home establishment. Our maids came from Scotland, our men servants were either free English emigrants, or Indians.

To return to the history of my personal home life. On Sunday afternoon all the world went for a walk, & in the evening Papa read a short sermon to the assembled household, & the children suffered fidgets. Old Matty Kempset, who swept the roads, ferried the boat across the river, & only shaved & made himself clean on Sunday, always sat behind my Father & Grandmother that he might hear. We were a goodly congregation young & old, masters, & servants, & never without some visitors on whom the scene left an impression of which I heard long years afterwards in England.

I only recollect my Mother as an invalid; never able to share our outdoor life, never complaining, always cheerful & ready for us when able. We all worshipped her, she was the triumph of mind over matter, she would come down after days of suffering & play reels for us to dance. Her sway was the rule of love. When we made any small petition to our Father "ask your Mother" was the invariable reply, & her decision settled every question. In after life she was our friend & counsellor of blessed memory. She must have been extremely pretty in her youth, and even after years of suffering, had lovely eyes & the sweetest expression.

Although shops were then in existence in Sydney, our dress haberdashery, stationery, etc. came direct from England selected by my Father's sisters. The arrival of these large cases were a great excitement

Ships arriving in those days were signalled by semaphore to Parramatta & the red flag warned us of the arrival of the "Royal George" with my brother Charlie, returning from education in England. I was allowed to remain up to receive him 1835. In the evening we heard the oars of the Man of War's boat (HMS Pelorus) in which our dear friend Captain Harding, familiarly termed "Uncle Frank" brought him home, together with the two younger brothers of Patrick Leslie by that time engaged to my sister Katie. They found a home in my Father's house & many years after I married the youngest brother.

They arrived at a moment of severe Australian drought, when the cows were fed on the roots of the Cooch [Couch] grass & my sisters took the new arrivals to show them one patch of green grass under the Church walls.

Between 1840 & 1843 all my four sisters were married. Katie married Patrick Leslie the younger of Warthill Aberdeenshire & her marriage was a very gay affair. Eight bridesmaids, & I was