Childhood at Brindabella by Miles Franklin

Author:Miles Franklin [Franklin, Miles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780648096320
Publisher: ETT Imprint
Published: 2017-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

EDUCATION

AS Mother remarked, the time for formal education was drawing near. At the main homestead my second paternal uncle had a famous tutor in charge of his children, Mr Auchinvole. A place had been found for him at Bobilla upon request of one of our leading barrister-politicians, later to become Premier, of whom Mr Auchinvole was a relative or family connection. In his gentleness, his unbreachable good breeding, he was an example of how ineffectual English Public School education could be in fitting a man for life. He belonged to the school who couldn’t so much as boil an egg or sew on a button. He would have starved amid tins of food if stranded without a tinopener, or have gone thirsty beside the purest running water for lack of drinking vessel. In his superior upbringing one thing he had not been taught to do was to abstain from alcohol. So, he was on a remote cattle station hidden in the ranges instead of playing golf with upper middleclass lairds in Scotland.

On Bobilla he was shut away from his enemy unless some new stationhand or mailman, unaware of the crime he was committing, could be engaged to bring a bottle. How it affected the dear man we were too young to know. We were told that Mr A. was indisposed and must not be worried. We had a holiday – where indeed all life, including the schoolroom, was an adventurous holiday.

Though we rode with our elders from early infancy I was not allowed to ride the mile between the two houses.

There were cases of children having been dragged in the stirrups. So I had to exercise my legs, my bobbing bonnet watched from home till it disappeared over a rise and in a few minutes I appeared in view of my destination – awaited by Mr A. who described me as “a very small girl, mostly sunbonnet, moving at a pace scarcely perceptible.”

The house was the good old style that started as a hut, with additions in a string. These were still retained as kitchen, storerooms, meat-room, etc. The house proper had grown later in the same practical way in a long row of additions. The schoolroom was at one end and had a big fireplace for the cold weather. On the veranda outside the door was a small room used as H.M. Post Office. Over this Mr A. presided seriously with government forms, sealing wax, a date stamp and locked waterproof bags.

Aunt and Uncle were a more striking edition of my parents. Father almost reached six feet in his socks, my mother five feet five inches. Uncle was easily six feet, Aunt five feet eight or more. All were slim and straight. Uncle was the most impressive member of his family. He had an eagle profile which went with his haughty bearing and sarcastic tongue. Like all his family he was recklessly hospitable.

He sometimes did not know how many guests invited or uninvited would turn up in the diningroom or in the kitchen for meals.

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