THE LUST TO LEARN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24413, 26 September 1940, Page 10

THE LUST TO LEARN

PROGRESSIVE AUSTRALIAN GIRLS DUNEDIN VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS The desire of girls in Melbourne to broaden their cultural outlook, even though much of their time is occupied in business pursuits, was commented upon by a Dunedin girl visitor to that city in a recent letter “ It’s simply amazing,” the writer says. “ Every little typist goes off and learns something. The girl in my office, with no advantage of intensive education such as I had, puts me to shame on the matter of general knowledge. She has taken two years of economics, two years of psychology, a year of English literature, and goodness knows what else, all with the W.E.A. It’s frightfully popular over here, and seems to offer so much, so cheaply. My musical appreciation classes cost 5s for 10 lessons—6d a time! It puls knowledge within the reach of anyone, A little girl I met there—in the softgoods trade—astonished me by raving over “The Hound of Heaven.” which she had just discovered. “ They’re all so keen to learn things, French. German, and all Continental languages can be learned at hundreds of places. It’s most astonishing. Personally, I think it’s because the Australians are go-getters, like the Americans. ' They seem eager to progress —which is certainly most commendable.

“ The Thomas Beecham concerts with the Melbourne Orchestra are always packed out, and by a most mixed crowd, and the free concerts given in the lunch hour one day a week at the Town Hall are always very well patronised. Apart from that, there are always art exhibitions being held in the centre of the town somewhere, and these at lunch time flow with people. They are a most admirable race, these Australians, and I'm frightfully pleased to have been able to work with them and see something of them.”