A Sydney girl's school in the 1830s - Annabella Boswell's Journal An Account of Early Port Macquarie - Book Review

MARGIN: Life & Letters in Early Australia, Nov, 2003 by Caroline Innett

Schools for girls were very occasionally mentioned in records of the early days of the settlement in Sydney. There were in the colony of New South Wales a number of 'private' schools for boys. There was the Cape's School in King Street and then Sydney College. The Rev. John Dunmore Lang established the Australian College for Presbyterian boys. William Woolls ran a school at Parramatta and there was The Kings School which was established in the same town.

Girls usually had to take their chances for education with a governess if their parents could find and had the money to pay for one. For example Mrs Hannibal Macarthur brought out a governess from England and she promptly married James Atkinson a successful agriculturist. The other alternative means of education for the girls was to be taught by their mothers to read and write.

In the early 1830s Mrs. Evans, the wife of the surveyor and explorer George Evans established a boarding school for girls in Sydney. This was established to boost the family income. George Evans had established a book and stationery shop after his return to New South Wales from England. There was some competition because their were four other bookshops in the town. George Evans became, in addition, a teacher of art at The Kings School at Parramatta and had to make a regular trip by boat up the harbour and river to Parramatta. There is no record that he taught art at his wife's school although this is quite likely.

Annabella Boswell in her Journal * describes her experiences as a border at the school run by Mrs Evans. Annabella's father was a settler about sixty miles from Bathurst, New South Wales and there was difficulty in securing a governess. The little eight year old Annabella Innes was sent to school in Sydney.

She writes as follows:

   In 1834 I found myself settled in Bridge Street Sydney under the
   care of Mrs.. Evans, and her friend and partner Miss Ferris. Mr.
   Evans had a large bookseller's and Stationer's shop and we occupied
   the rest of the house which at that time was thought handsome and in
   a fashionable street. Our house faced the old Government stores or
   Depot, and close by flowed the Tank Stream, now arched over and made
   into the main drain of that portion of the populous city.

   We were quite near Government House and Macquarie Place, where
   lived the leading public officials: these houses were back from the
   street and had pretty gardens and deep verandahs, sheltered by
   climbing roses and other flowering plants. I do not remember being
   in old Government House, but I made many happy visits to our kind
   friends Mr. and Mrs. McLeay at Macquarie Place. He was then Colonial
   Secretary: one of his daughters married my Uncle Major Innes.

Holidays approached and plans were being made for the girls to go home but not Annabella whose parents lived sixty miles out of Bathurst. She was to remain at the school but before the girls left for their holiday, Annabella continued her story.

   However there was one of Sydney's torrential downpours. The Tank
   Stream overflowed its banks and rushed into the basement of our
   house. Late one Saturday night an alarm was raised that the
   foundations were giving away. Many houses were flooded and people
   were being taken out of the water.

   I really do not know if we were in any danger, but a party of
   soldiers came to our rescue. No doubt it was great fun for some of
   the young officers, and I know that some girls enjoyed it too, and
   were delighted to be carried off in their strong arms to. a place of
   safety. I was a miserable little urchin, but of course I had to be
   rescued too. I was one of four who were kindly received by Mr. and
   Mrs. W.H. McKenzie of the Bank of Australasia. She was a Miss
   Hawkins, a friend of my mother's. The rain continued to fall in
   torrents, the old guard house was swept away and part of the
   Barracks' wall came down and damage was done everywhere. It was a
   terrible Easter Sunday for many and we were comfortably housed and
   the next day I was sent to Mrs. McLeay and in her house spent one of
   the happiest times of my young life; all were so kind and clever,
   and all their surroundings were so refined and luxurious in
   comparison with anything I who had been bred in the bush, was
   accustomed to.

Letter writing was one of the skills that a school girl had to learn. Annabella certainly managed to express herself well in this art form as the following letter shows written shortly after her return home from school in Sydney.

   It gives me very great pleasure to write to you my dear uncle,
   and papa tells me I must send you the little drawing I have just
   finished this afternoon. Had I known it was to be sent to you I
   would have taken more pains with it.

   We have a governess now. I like it much better than being at
   school, because I do not require to leave dear papa and mamma. I am
   learning to play the guitar; I found it very difficult at first. I
   made my fingers so sore and my arms ache, but now my fingers have
   got quite hard at the points, and am getting on very well with it. I
   can play the accompaniment to 'Ye Banks and Braes' and to 'Ah
   vousdirais', 'Rondo' and a few other little airs. I am reading the
   history of England, and have got the length of James the First who
   began the reign of the Smarts in England. I like my studies very
   much indeed; they are a pleasure to me. Miss Willis explains them to
   me as I go on, which makes them easy to be understood. I think I
   like geography better than any of the other lessons. I have gone
   through the four quarters of the globe with Miss Willis, and I begin
   again on Monday at the map of Europe and through each country,
   beginning with England. My sister gets on well with her lessons. She
   writes very well indeed, and seems to have great taste for drawing.
   She is also learning to play the guitar. I wrote to Grand-mamma in
   December and since then have written to aunt Jane. They cannot have
   got my letters yet, and very much pleased I shall be when my aunt
   writes to me. I intend to write to one of my aunts soon. I hope my
   dear little cousins are well. I suppose Gordina begins to run about
   now. Papa, Mamma and Margaret join me in sending their love to you
   and my aunt, and kisses to my dear cousins. Goodbye, my dear
   uncle--Believe me, etc.