THE WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10629, 5 December 1910, Page 6

THE WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA.

By Lily Brayton (Mrs Oscar Asche). Australia is a happy land. After all, that is as it should be, for happiness is generally the quality of youth, and Australia is a young country filled with ambition and courage and hope, untrammelled by the traditious that necessarily belong to a nation with a long history, and without a shade of that pessimism which, unfortunately for us, generally accompanies the experience, of years. The Australian cities are new and clean, and we saw none of those dead, grey slums that make the heart sad in English cities. It seemed to me —and of course I do not pretend to write with any authority;—that the conditions of -life in the Antipodes are altogether easier and pleasanter, and that the poor man has a much better time there than he does here.

With the air of newness there is an air of prosperity. The men are alert and eager, rushing to do things and apparently anxious to do them well. I ought to add that Adelaide is rather different from the other cities that we visited. It has a staider and more grown-up appearance, and, indeed, in- some respects it reminded me of an English cathedral town. It is not only the newness of Australia that makes the people happy and alert, but it is the splendid climate also, a climate that makes out-of-door life so general and that makes even the visitor from the tired Old World eagerly alive. The Australian seems to say to himself, "Here is a glorious world to have a good time in." And, as the American would say, he "goes right ahead," determined to enjoy every minute of his day. The Australian women are splendid. I certainly believe they must be among the most beautiful women in the world. Certainly I myself have never seen so many lovely women at one time as I saw at race-meetings and other functions in the southern hemisphere. The Australian women are not only good-looking; they are so well-turned-out. They seem to have the knack, as the French woman has, and sometimes the American, of knowing exactly the right sort of clothes each individual should wear. Every woman knows that there is everything in this. The art of putting on one's clothes is the supreme feminine gift, and perhaps I may be forgiven when I say that it is not too common in our country.

The Australian woman has generally excellent taste, and with the independence of her race, even when she is quite well-to-do, she frequently does without the dressmaker altogether, and makes her own ; clothes. This independence is typical, and is found in every phase of life. The Australian girl cares next to nothing for convention, and lives a free, healthy life, sharing her brother's pride of country and inspired by a complete and most admirable sense of self-respect. It has been said that none but happy people really care for tragic art. This seems to have been proved by our Australian tour, for the Australians, as I have .said, are undoubtedly a happy people, and we found there a much more general appreciation for Shakespearian tragedy than we have generally found in England. Indeed, "Othello'.' was perhaps the most generally popular play in the whole of our repertory. They are a splendid audience to act to —attentive, intelligent, following, the action of the play with acute understanding and inspiring the artists with well-reasoned appreciation.

Of course, it is good to be home again in England, and, of course, it is good to be acting again in London; but neither my husband nor I, nor, indeed, any member of our company, will ever forget the splendid welcome wo had from the Australians, and we are looking forward to our next year's journey back again, particularly as this time we are extending our tour to New Zealand.