GIRLS’ TOUR

Southland Times, Issue 25312, 15 June 1935, Page 4

GIRLS’ TOUR

AUSTRALIAN VISIT HOPEWOOD HOUSE This Js the final article containing the impressions of two Southland girls, Miss 'Jean Bisset, Invercargill, and Miss Jessie McLeod, Mandeville, gained during a tour of New South Wales and Victoria, Miss Bisset being the narrator. , At Katoomba we caught the Caves express, a speedy and luxurious, but still rowdy train which raised the Australian railways a little in cur estimation. Again in Sydney we began to remember all the things we had intended doing and seeing, and to realize how much we would have .to omit. Tms time our seat of operations was Bondi, so naturally the famous beach claimed our attention. Practically’ the whole beach is surrounded by the promenade which protects from all but off-sea winds. Elaborate dressing sheds open on to the beach of wonderful sand, behind which are numerous cafes, cabarets, etc. It is an excellent example of man’s attempt to improve on nature —withal it remains a justly famed beach. ,' . • That afternoon we visited the Sydney Karitane and Hopewood House. The Sydney Karitane, unlike the Melbourne one, was not built for the purpose, so has the inherent disadvantages of an ordinary house altered for a hospital. Even so the excellent work being done was amply evident. As ever in Australia, the elaborate precautions necessary against heat intrigued us. Hopewood House. We had expected much of Hopewood House and were not disappointed. Originally owned by one of the Hordern brothers, the trustees of the school acquired it at great expense. The whole is conceived on a generous scale from the short, but effective drive to the imposing entrance. Miss . Jobson, as charming as ever, entertained us at tea, in her sunny study before showing us the school. As I have said everything gave the impression of size from the very passages even to the bathrooms. Two of the latter were particularly interesting. The largest, in the house was done in figured marble—faintly brown against a white background. The imposing array of polished taps reminded one of Punch’s stories of involuntary showers. Possibly the afternoon sun streaming in gave this room an added brilliance, it certainly was “a thing of beauty.” The other—- “ The one,” to quote the principal, that has its photo taken”—was mainly of dark green tiles. The actual white bath was set half into the floor and was completely surrounded and supported by black tiles. The plain white bathrooms seemed tame after this. . The roll number is not large and is fairly evenly divided between day girls and boarders—the school does net strive after members. Hopewood House is a finishing school, so naturally most of the pupils enter when well mto their teens. Any girls fortunate enough to “finish” there have an unusual opportunity to develop a keen appreciation of the finer arts of life.; The curriculum is exceptionally wide. One student is learning motor mechanics—she hails from Queensland and intends to be able to do her own motor repairs. Wise girl! There are well equipped rooms for laundry, dressmaking and cooking activities, while at the other end of the same building a stage setting from “The Merchant of Venice was still to be seen. No aspect of training seems to be left untouched. One can believe the claim that the girls there can be taught whatever they want. It was doubly pleasing after all this to be assured that the originator of this wonderful school still remembered distant Invercargill kindly and inquired eagerly of the Southland Girls’ High School and her old pupils

On The Bridge.

There still remained the ever-pre-sent-bridge. As the harbour always has been to Sydney so is the bridge now, absolutely integral. Our adviser was right—to appreciate the Bridge one must go on it. The size is incred; ible. It is a Sydney bridge, however, often the noise of passing trains is such that one can hardly hear oneself think, let alone speak. Of the four pylons only one has been put to commercial use. At the bottom—where the inside is the size of a fair-sized hall —a small portion of the space is occupied with a display of replicas of the British Crown Jewels. Having duly admired these, we were whirled, stories up in a lift. Slightly dazed we proceeded to climb steps—flight after flight until we reached the level across which trams and trains rattle. Here telescopes provide a never failing source of amusemUndaunted we turned towards the stairs and the myriad steps still to come. Here on the various floors are displays of museum pieces, a small cafe, a post office, various amusement shows and on the very top a camera obscura. The staff required to rim this very interesting place must be quite large—there seemed to be attendants •everywhere. Quite convinced at. last as to the size and wonder of the Bridge, we descended to the tram level and plunged again into the underground. Sydney has certainly tackled her traffic problems heroically with her “undergrounds” and “elevateds. The last morning in Sydney we spent endeavouring to see some of the sights we had missed. Unfortunately the only tour available was “The Beaches.. The route lies past most of the principal buildings in the city—Hospitals, Government House, Cathedrals, War Memorial and so on. We learnt that the new brilliant orange building which had intrigued us ever since our arrival was the local British Medical Association building. We saw where visiting Royalty lands—a much more attractive spot than Dockland!—Then to the beaches, Coogee, Bronte, and Bondi and thence to Watson s. Bay with its notorious Gap. For a time apparently the Bridge replaced this rugged headland as the popular spot for suicide, but now that effective protection has been placed on the Bridge, the poor unfortunates again seek the Gap. Even in the sunshine, the surging waves over the half submerged rocks have an ominous sound. Wentworth House. Passing on through Rose Bay to Vaucluse one sees many lovely homes and picturesque gardens. Both Melbourne and Sydney in their more fashionable suburbs contain numbers of magnificent residences —many of them absolute gems. The next stop was at Vaucluse House —the old Wentworth Home. This is preserved as a museum with much of the original furniture. There was a quaint Victorian air about the whole place. The ladies’ morning room with its small spinet and brocade chairs sounded like Jane Austen. There were two dining rooms, a formal one behind the drawing or ball room, and a family one opening off the c ° u “" yard at the back. Even though all the rooms round this courtyard were connected by a verandah running round the square, we sympathized with the worries of the cook who had to risk her best dishes as they were solemnly marched through the open air to the waiting family. The formal marble dining room must have been the dickens! The larder and dairy at the very back werfe partly sunken and had stone floors, resplendent in whitewash they looked cool and airy. Not all the house is open to the public the ravages of white ants being partly responsible

for this. Thus the promenade roof is closed and part of the servants quarters have had to be pulled down. Four of the bedrooms are still open. The first bedroom Miss Wentworth’s, girls’ room and boys’ room. All have their large, frilled four-poster beds with the corresponding, surprisingly small supplementary furniture of chairg, writing desks, etc. , The trip over ensued a hectic rush for home and lunch. Then, the only time in all our stay we took the wrong tram. Fortunately it dropped us only about a half mile out of our'way. Our trip over we embarked that afternoon'. It is always wretched farewelling dear ones and the goodbyes of relatives seem abominably sentimental to others