NEWS FROM MELBOURNE FOR THE EVENING STAR.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1857, 15 December 1874, Page 2

NEWS FROM MELBOURNE FOR THE EVENING STAR.

According to promise I write to let all my old friends know, not<6nly something of my doings, but also something of Melbourne as it loots to my eyes. We had a most pleasant trip over. The first day was calm and pleasant, and a few to» sanguine individuals tried to believe that sea-sickness was a delusion. This was Saturday; Sunday told a different tale, and on Monday (marked in our calendar as Black .Monday) we all looked " pale, r: bilious and interesting." Once through this state we became a thoroughly jolly and agreeable party. We had not one "stuck-up" or unpleasant person in the saloon. The officers and the comforts of the Hero are too well known for excellence to need my poor meed of prais*, so that all went " smoothly as a marriage bell." Where' all were ready to be happy and make' others happy our trip seemed very short,: and was really not long, for we left Auckland on Saturday at 2 p.m.* reaching Sydney at about 5 a.m. on Friday. I did not remain in Sydney whilst the Hero went to Newcastle to coal; I went with her to Newcastle, as did several other passengers. We went with, economical motives, but we had no reason to regret it. We heartily enjoyed the trip, the sight of the shipping, and even the view of itself. Except in Sydney harbour I miss greatly the beauty of our New Zealand coast. Newcastle is no exception. It is low, flat and sandy. We should not call the largest eminence " a. hill;'' but it is, a thriving little place* with a good market, where things are very cheap, some very fair buildings and one very handsome hotel. There is nothing to equal this hotel in Auckland that I have seen. Sydney is old and English looking. I got a glimpse, and only a glimpse, of the Boyal Park and Botannical Gardens. We were so short a time in Sydney I <san say little of it. As to Melbourne, it is a wonderful exexample of what man can do in spite of natural disadvantages. It is a beautiful city, in every direction handsome build*

ings and beautiful gardens and trees. Everyone seems to plant, even in quite townlike streets. I could not help thinking of our beautiful little homes of the South Pacific, so beautified by God and so comparatively little beautified by the hand of man. I am only doing moderately well here, but I am thankful to say I neither want for friends, sympathy* and, so far, the means of support. ' What is commonly but erroneously called " Woman's Bights" has many warm supporters here. The great drawback is that hitherto it has been regarded as quite a Spiritualistic movement, and there is a great prejudice against Spiritualism, though there are many Spiritualists— some of them the most intelligent men, quito " leading minda" in the population. h ree-thinkers also abound, and they are "to a man" with us ; but we have also, I am happy to add, friends of many religions denominations. There is a great deal of conventionality in Melbourne so* ciety, but there are also a much larger proportion of " independent" thought people than we have over in Auckland. When I tell you my views are not enough advanced for some of my colleagues you will sigh with a sob of resigned wonder. But it will b© asked, How is Melbourne as a place to get on in ? Well, you can live much more comfortably on £150 per annum in Melbourne than you can on £200 in Auckland. If you board (as wo do), the board is substantially good and sufficient, the houses respectably furnished ; few, if any, without piano and bath, and the charges for myself and two children (11 and 12) from 40s to 50s per week. lam now paying 40s, and have a fine large back bed-room looking out on an old-fashioned yard where chickens chirp all day, and you would fancy yourself quite in the country; whilst the front of the house is in one of the finest suburban streets, overlooking the Carlton Gardens ; and yet with all this delightful " rurality " we are within five minutes' walk of JBourke-street, and the omnibuses pass our door every minute and take us into the very centre of commerce for threepence. Of course you can get board up to any figure if you want to be grand, but it is to be had good and reasonable by those who wish to economise; and travelling is cheap and excellent. Let Aucklanders fancy—l went into Toorak to tea the other evening. By omnibus from my home to Spencer-street station, to South Yarra by train (first-class), then to Toorak by 'bus. Reverse the order of proceedings home again—the whole expense being Is 9d. This is luxury. Now as to teachers. They are often "on the growl" here as in Auckland. The system is better, mora matured—the schools infinitely better; the pay, I should think, better—at any rate, the teachers live in a degree of comfort unattainable by teaching in Auckland. I know teachers who pay over £100 per annum (rent is high) for their privata houses, and these houses are invariably handsomer and better furnished than Auckland teachers can afford, and their tenure of office seems more secured. The committee element is done away with, which possibly accounts for this. You have instead 'of committees Boards of Advice, which seem to be a mild form of-committee with very limited powers. There are, however, more teachers than can find work here unless they take small, far-away country schools, which are, I understand, easy to get. The two things that frightened me in coming here were snakes and hot winds. As to the snakes, there is no more reason to dread them in Melbourne than to dread centipedes in Auckland. One lady who must be about five-and-thirty, and was born here, has only seen two. Another lady, born and bred in ." the bush " has seen several, but never one very near to j her. The hot winds are very unpleasant. We have only had. two since I have been •here, and the houses of stone or brick are so thick that they are not very terrible to endure. I think a hot, moist day in Auckland worse. I cannot tell you of the great carnival, "the Melbourne Cup." I did not go. Those who did: say it was very grand indeed. The assemblage of rank and fashion is something wonderful. I saw the vice-regal party with postillions and outriders coming home. And now, I am sure, I have trespassed enough on your space and patience. I hope I shall not be considered to have tried to depreciate Auckland, which is really my home. Grand and really comfortable as Melbourne is, I think, if I were well-off, I should be back to you " like « bird." Old, dear old friends and home associations would draw me, but, I do not, judgipg from what I see, think Auckland as good a field for an educated woman to get on. Our grandest educational efforts with public and private sink into insignificance by the side of those of this great Queen of the South Pacific; and, I will say this for our public men and the teachers of the press, that, whether they believe in " Woman's Rights" or not, they are almost unanimously in favor of opening up high-class educational advantages and employment to women. Some day, I will write again. I know you will put this in instead of clippings on some very dull day, and wisning you every success.— I am, &c,

Mibt A. CoLCLOtrGH. 16, Nicholson-street, Fitzroy, November 9th, 1874.