Writing Rose’s story meant a huge amount of research, which I love, and I suspect I now know more about early Melbourne and Federation than most Aussies!
I was born and grew up in Italy, a beautiful country to visit, but also a difficult country to live in for new generations.
In 2006, I packed up my suitcase and I left Italy with the man I love. We bet on Australia. I didn’t know much about Australia before coming - I was just looking for new opportunities, I guess.
And I liked it right from the beginning! Australian people are resourceful, open-minded and always with a smile on their faces. I think all Australians keep in their blood a bit of the pioneer heritage, regardless of their own birthplace.
Here I began a new life and now I’ m doing what I always dreamed of: I illustrate stories. Here is the place where I’ d like to live and to grow up my children, in a country that doesn’t fear the future.
IN the nineteenth century, many doctors believed that playing physical sports was bad for women, and it took until the 1880s before they started to change their minds.
While women are recorded as enjoying a good game of cricket as far back as the 1740s in England, the first ‘official’ game of women’s cricket in Australia was in Sydney in 1886.The two teams were the Siroccos and the Fernleas, and the opposing captains were sisters! Like many of the early games, it was for charity.
Male cricket writers of the time thought women playing cricket was a joke and refused to take it seriously. There were even negative comments about the women in their long dresses showing their ankles when they played.
But by 1891, there were matches between city and country sides, and an ‘intercolonial’ match between New South Wales and Victoria. Rosalie Deane was one of the best early players and in one match, when she had scored 180, the umpire suggested she should go out and give someone else a turn.
Funnily enough, it was when women started riding bicycles that it became more accepted that they could play sports such as cricket. In Victoria, there were plenty of teams playing in the country, with names like the Snowflakes, the Seafoams and the Forget-Me-Nots. Schools followed their lead by arranging games between themselves.
When the Victorian Ladies’ Cricket Association was formed in 1905, there were 21 clubs in existence.
The Winning Team
In 1895, the first important women’s cricket match was played between Australia and England. Sisters of several male Test cricketers played in the charity match.The players wore straw hats, long full skirts, shirts with long sleeves, collars and ties. This may have been why a newspaper reporter said: ‘… one is driven to the conclusion that Nature, even in her most thoughtless moments, never intended woman to play cricket, least of all to
DID YOU KNOW THAT AROUND THE TIME OF FEDERATION …
Women earned only half as much money as men.
* * *
The main celebrations for the Commonwealth were held in Sydney because Melbourne got to host the Parliament meetings until a new capital city was built.
* * *
There were 32,823 entries in the competition to design the first Australian flag.
* * *
Tomato sauce was becoming really popular, and Australians ate as much meat per person per year as people in the United States and Great Britain combined.
* * *
The cane was used a lot on boys and girls.
* * *
On average, men lived till 52 and women till 56. Only 4 out of every 5 babies lived past their first birthday.
* * *
One of the most popular take-away food places was the ham and beef shop, which sold meat pies.
* * *
The Royal Exhibition building in Carlton, Melbourne was lit up by 10,000 electric light globes during the Federation celebrations.
* * *
You had to be over the age of 21 to vote.
* * *
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ON the first day back at St Swithin’s, Rose and Abigail hugged each other excitedly.
‘Do you think we’ll be allowed to sit together again?’ Rose asked anxiously.
‘We’ve still got Miss Capstan, so I’m sure she’ll say yes,’ said Abigail. And Miss Capstan did!
At lunchtime, Rose ate quickly and then ran to the big lawn around the back of the school building. Most of the other girls were already there, and so was the new cricket coach. She was tall, with thick brown hair pulled back into a bun, and she wore dark grey pantaloons. A bat was tucked under her arm and she tossed a ball into the air over and over as she waited for everyone to gather around her.
‘Welcome, girls. I’m Miss Guilfoyle. I hear we have some very keen cricket players here,’ she said. ‘The game against Merton is in two weeks, but I’m sure we can get in plenty of practice before then.’
‘Who will be in the team, Miss?’ Myrtle Culpepper asked.
Rose’s face burned. Myrtle was the one who kept calling Rose a baby and saying she was too young to play.
Miss Guilfoyle looked around. ‘I will select a team of fourteen, but you may not all play.’
‘How will you choose?’ Myrtle asked, and this time she glanced at Rose.
‘On merit, of course.’ Miss Guilfoyle handed the bat and the ball to two girls standing next to her. ‘Let’s get on the field and see how you all go, then I’ll make my decisions. Fair enough?’
Not to Myrtle. ‘But some girls are too young to play a proper game,’ she said.
‘I judge on skills, talent and hard work,’ Miss Guilfoyle said. ‘So let’s see plenty of that.’
Myrtle scowled at Rose and nudged one of her friends. As she walked onto the playing area, Rose tried to stay calm but her heart was beating so loudly she could hear it in her ears. Would she be good enough? She was told to field first, but no one hit the ball near her.Then Miss Guilfoyle sent Rose and Enid in to bat.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Enid said, but Rose wasn’t so sure.
She stood in front of the wickets and gripped her bat so tightly that her fingers ached. Myrtle was bowling – what a disaster. She was quite a fast bowler and wouldn’t give Rose a chance.
Sure enough, the ball came whizzing down and bounced just in front of her. All she could do was block it like Tommy had shown her. The same with the next one and the next.
‘Have a go,’ Miss Guilfoyle called, ‘even if you miss.’
So Rose did, knowing as soon as she swung that the ball was on its way past her. Bang! One wicket was knocked out of the ground. Myrtle’s face creased into a spiteful grin. Rose had one more ball left, but this time she was determined to hit it even if bounced into her legs. Myrtle tried even harder to make the ball speed down the pitch, but she pulled it slightly and it bounced towards Rose’s left side. She took a huge swipe at it, hooking it at the last second and it sailed towards the trees.
‘Well done!’ Miss Guilfoyle shouted.
Myrtle stood, hands on hips, a snarl on her face. Rose ignored her and politely handed the bat to the next girl. Just wait until I bowl to you, Myrtle, she thought.
And very soon it was Rose’s turn to bowl …
Meet the other Australian girls and authors
GRACE AND GLORY 1808
It’s 1808 and Grace has arrived at a bark hut on the edge of a river to start her life as a servant. But even though she tries hard, nothing she does for her new master ever seems right – especially if it involves Glory, his beloved horse. When her master goes away and leaves her in charge, will Grace know how to save her mistress from danger?
Join Grace again on her adventure in the third of four exciting stories about a convict girl who is given a second chance.
Sofie Laguna, author of the Grace books, is a highly regarded and award-winning writer of several books for children. Bird and Sugar Boy was
shortlisted for the 2007 CBCA Book of the Year Award, Younger Readers, and Sofie’s adult book, One Foot Wrong, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2009.
LETTY ON THE LAND 1841
It’s 1841 and if Letty wants to keep her job she must travel with her mistress to a sheep farm in the Blue Mountains, leaving her sister Lavinia behind in Sydney. Letty has heard that the bush is a wild place, full of strange beasts and dangers, not to mention the bushrangers that hide out in it. And as Letty soon learns, life on the land has plenty of challenges …
Join Letty again on her adventure in the third of four exciting stories about a free-settler girl and her new life in a far-off land.
Alison Lloyd, author of the Letty books, is the popular and highly regarded author of several books for children, including Year of the Tiger and Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors, a fantastic and fact-filled book about Ancient China.
Poppy and the Thief 1864
It’s 1864 and Poppy is on the road again, heading to the town of Wahgunyah. On the way she meets a stranger who seems to know something about her past, and her special letter with the red tiger seal. But the more time she spends with this boy, the more difficult he becomes. Should Poppy trust him?
Join Poppy again on her adventure in the third of four stories about a Gold Rush girl who dreams of a better life.
Gabrielle Wang, author of the Poppy books, is a much loved writer for young people. Gabrielle’s recent books include her bestselling Young Adult novel Little Paradise, and the very popular Ghost in My Suitcase, which won the 2009 Aurealis Award for young fiction.
Follow the story of your favourite Australian girls and you will see that there is a special charm on the cover of each book that tells you something about the story.
Here they all are. You can tick them off as you read each one.
PUFFIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
Melbourne • London • New York • Toronto • Dublin
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, England
Published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2011
Text copyright © Sherryl Clark, 2011
Illustrations copyright © Lucia Masciullo, 2011
The moral right of the author and the illustrator has been asserted.All rights reserved.
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders for material used in this book. If anyone has information on relevant copyright holders, please contact us.
Image on page 110 reprinted with kind permission from the
State Library of Victoria
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ISBN: 978-1-74-253360-5
Rose's Challenge Page 6
