Local writings

James Lerk | Bendigo Weekly | 17-Nov-2011 11.33am

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TEXTBOOK: The coverplate and extract from Elizabeth Woods’ school book.
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John Burston as head teacher of the North Sandhurst State School, was, as mentioned last week, to have a profound and lasting influence on the scholastic life of student Elizabeth Woods.
Elizabeth’s father, William Woods, was at first a carter before he found employment in the mining industry in 1887, the year that will be the focus of this article; he shared his occupation with 3744 others on the Bendigo goldfield.
Mr Woods, and 3252 others, were engaged in quartz mining underground.
In his case he worked at one stage at the Great Extended Hustler’s Mine just off Hustler’s Road.
Incidentally, 1887 was important for Mr Burston as it was to be his last year at the school before he was sent to another.
School children had to supply their own work books, it being one of the few expenses associated with the free, compulsory and secular education that was now provided by the state.
In the case of the Woods family, they made the purchases of their children’s exercise books at A. J. Smith Junior of Pall Mall. Typical of the period the books had feigned marble cardboard covers and the pages were stitched with linen thread, with the spine having an application of lightweight canvas bookbinding tape.
There were 88 pages all told, of these, 84 were used by Elizabeth for all the subjects covered during the year 1887.
A. J. Smith and Company were located in Pall Mall, the business concentrated on retail
as well as wholesale sales.
Apart from Smith’s being stationers they also sold books and acted as newsagents.
Smith’s were a respected business and as such they became agents for the Government Printer, additionally they were the local representatives for G. F. Witton’s Business Professional and Trades Directory.
Directories were an important part of 19th century commercial life.
For me, it is interesting the 14-year-old Elizabeth wrote one of her compositions on “The Mall on Satur-
day Evening”, the last portion of the com-
position is reproduced above.
The story begins just before Bull Street on
towards Mundy Street.
TLPB - selling now

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