TOLL OF THE BUSH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 125, 30 May 1933, Page 11

TOLL OF THE BUSH.

ENGLISH WOMAN'S MISSION,

A lonely woman in a lonely tent in the lonely wilds of Gippsland East. That is how Miss Reece, of the Bush Church Aid Society, was sent to the work of her life, which places her in the foremost rank as an Australian bush heroine, states the Melbourne "Herald." Her story offers an example of selfsacrifice, courage and endurance rare even in these days, when women are achieving things formerly uridreamt of. In England Miss Reece was known as a well-educated woman of means. Her interest in Australia, began when she heard of men and women struggling with the problems of the bush, where churches and their services were unknown. She resolved to help these people.

Through the Colonial and Continental Church Society she joined the Bush Church Aid Society and was sent to the Cann River, in East Gippsland. Miss Reece was an accomplished horsewoman, and she could ride a bicycle. Nobody who has not seen the country over which Mies Reece had volunteered to work can form an adequate idea of the hardships of travelling, especially on a bicycle, over formless roads, along bush tracks, and up and clown the mountainous country. This brave woman missioner camped alone in her tent for a considerable epace while she blazed the track of duty. Next ehe built a small, oneroomed shack and began to make long rides on a thoroughbred horse which she had acquired. Sometimes she covered great distances in a day, going among the sparsely dotted homesteads, meeting the people, helping them in their spiritual exercises, and in other ways, for Miss Reece spent her own money in her work from the beginning. She is greatly loved among the people whom she served. Always she was welcomed with outstretched hands to their homes, some of these very humble, and she and her horse became known far and wide.

Among her benefices she built a church at Orbost, and then made up her mind that her work in Australia was finished, but it was not. She returned to England —for a time. Then the urge of the Australian bush came to her again— overwhelmingly, and she resumed her labour of love among her bush friends. But some little time ago her thoroughbred threw her, and the fall made it eo hard for her to carry on that she has been compelled to resign. So this brave woman, who has done so much to help those who needed help sorely, will go back to England. But she says that always there will be love in her heart for the Australian bush and its people; and she knows that they love her.