002 - Hunter Valley Manuscript - July 1833

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Description(Image-002.jpg) Transcription - Cap 2 (4) (ii) Verso but the stranger will be pleased to find as many happy wives and excellent mothers in New South Wales as in any other country, perhaps still more, for in the solitudes of Australia there are more of the garish attractions of the old world to lead the female mind astray, but in all her feelings propensities and inclinations nature is her guide and with such a tutor who can err. All seem extremely anxious to acquire knowledge, and it is far from uncommon to find persons of the age of thirty assiduously study rudiments which at home are put in the hands of children. Those who have acquired any education are mostly indebted for it to themselves - Schools even of the lowest description have hitherto been very rare and it has only been within the last few years that academies have [started] into existence which of course the next generation of native born children will benefit by. The school master has found his way here and the march of intellect will doubtless be the more rapid in [proportion] as it has been eagerly desired - Females usually show the marks of age at an earlier period than at home, in fact, there is a general precocity in the human being in this climate. This may be partly attributed to the change of place and atmosphere on the constitution not yet acclimatised and partly to the climate itself. The offspring of all imported animals arrive at maturity at least one third sooner than in England. And the seeds [placed] in this country from imported vegetables experience a still more rapid progress. Formerly it was customary on the marriage of any of the native born lasses for the Government to make them a grant of land as a marriage portion whilst none others obtained the same advantage. This regulation was founded on good policy so far as it held out a [permission] to marriage but why those who were born in the country should be precluded from advantage which were freely conceded to strangers appears one of those deep political secrets which time alone can unravel. The native born youths being of course accustomed to the climate and for the most Subject1832native bornmarriageNSWHunter ValleySettlerAustralian historyMaitlandNew South WalesAustraliaDatenot specifiedSourcehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/2665491687/

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