LOUISA MEREDITH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5427, 30 November 1895, Page 3

LOUISA MEREDITH.

A PIONEER AUTHOR.

(Sydney Tour and Country Journal.)

Tasmania has just suffered a great lobb in the death, at the age of eighty-three, of Mrs Louisa Meredith, a lady whose bright and interesting books of travel and atory have won for her many friends both at home and abroad. Ab wife and mother she appears to have been particularly happy, and thiß in spite of her literary labours. Mra Meredith waa born in Birmingham in 1812, a clever and many-sided mother educating her in all that helped to make her a true woman. In 1830 a volume of poems, daintily illustrated by herself, came out, and was received so well that she determined to do better still. In 1836 her "Flower Songs" was printed, and a little later she scored a success in the letterpress for some sketches by David Cox, Copley Fielding, H. Warren, and others, a description of a trip on the Wye in autumn. In 1839, in "Our Wild Flowers Described," thiß author again won appreciative distinction ; and the same year witnessed her marriage to her cousin, Charles Meredith, one of a well-known Tasmanian family. In 1843 we find her impressions of a sea voyage in the ships of long ago, and ideas of Sydney in the early forties are graphically described in "Notes and Sketches in New South Wales," little bite of history, science, and natural hiatory being palatably sugared to suit the popular taste, while her lively descriptions of life here at that time are inimitable, and although written specially for foreign readers, Australian readers will find fresh items of interest relating to their native land. In 1852 "My Home in Tasmania" was published, and added to her fame, and that of the mountain-guarded isle she Bought to make everyone love. This book is a medley, a delightful unexpected medley, of travels, new homes made and broken, bush fires, bushrangers, diggers, lonely days and nights when her husband was far away, and she managed the homestead business unexpectedly well; it tells ot long, beautiful walks through enohanted ground, of eea tripa and narrow escapes, of aborigines, of insects, flowers, animals, fishes, and her own interesting life, in a glowing, picturesque, easy, realistic style that never grows old. About this time was also published " Some of My Bush Friends in Australia," which received the hearty welcome it deserved. In 1856 a visit to Viotoria "Over the Straits," came out, and all that was said of her other books can be applied to this also. Thirty-nine yeara' adventures and observations in Australia resulted in a capital young people's book about animals, flowers, and insects. Various sketches by thiß author have appeared from time to time, all acceptable. Mrs Meredith's artistic work is natural, graceful, and true, and the specimens of it in her works are an ever fresh pleasure to look at; her sketches of scenery have life, and intensify the memory of her descriptions. She received prize medals for painting iv London, Sydney, Melbourne, and Calcutta, being the only lady to be awarded a silver medal, one of fifty, at the Melbourne Exhibition. Mrs Meredith was an honorary member of the Boyal Society of Tasmania, and great regret was expressed by the president at her recent death.. The honour was greater when it is known she was the only lady so elected. A hovel, "Elba," ran through an Australian weekly for many weeks, and on all aidea Mra Meredith shows she was an active-minded, energetic woman, worthy to be remembered. Three or fonr years ago she. went to London, and superintended the; publishing of a laat edition of "Bush Friends in Australia." Fifty years had elapsed between her leave-taking and return, so her vigilant mind must have received many more curious impressions which possibly may never Bee the light now. It was a grand old age, working to the last, writer, artist, poet, traveller, wife, and mother, each line worthily lived to the end.