Midsummer's Eve

The nicest thing about him was his pride in his country. He talked of it with glowing enthusiasm. "There's something about a town that grows under your eyes. There have been men here whose names will always live in Sydney, though they've gone now. Their names are on our streets. When you think a short time ago there was nothing here ... Settlers are coming in now. Oh no, Miss, er ... Annora, we're not all convicts now.”

"We know that," I retorted. "There were two people on board with us. They've come out to get land.”

"Going cheaply, ha. Well, why not? Get the place going. We've got a lot to be thankful for. MacArthur brought the sheep here. We call him the father of the sheep industry, and that is quite something now. We've got wool and we've got meat. Why, they call some wool Botany Bay. That was where they first came out to with their load of Prisoners and when they saw this harbour they came here and they called the place after some important gent in England.”

"Viscount Sydney," said my mother.

"That's the fellow, but Macquarie is the man who made the place what it is. He said this was going to be a capital city of the world and believe me it's fast becoming one. He's built roads, houses, bridges factories ... We've even got our own newspaper.

Yes, the Sydney Gazette. You can read all about it in there.”

Matthew said: "I'm interested in the convicts. I'm writing a book about them and I've come to collect information.”

"Well, take my advice, Matt." He had already taken upon himself to give what he considered an appropriate version of Matthew's name. "Don't let them know what they're saying is going into a book or they'll shut up like clams. You've got to get them to talk naturally. Let it come out in conversation. I'll show you a few of them on the properly.

They'll be ready to talk.”

"That will be wonderful," cried Matthew.

"I see you're looking at me hopefully. Well, sorry to disappoint you. I'm not one of them. Came from Yorkshire. My father was a settler and it was Sir Jake here who put him in charge of the property. He died five years ago and I took over. I wasn't born here, but then, who was? But I've adopted it. It's my country and I'm proud of the way it's going.”

He talked a great deal about the city and the property, the price of wool, of droughts, plagues of insects and of forest fires, which were a continual source of anxiety during the summer months.

I found myself listening with interest and wondered what my father thought of him.

I discovered later that evening.

"He's certainly got a good opinion of himself," said Jacco.

"I think we might well find a great number of his sort here," my father pointed out.

"Surely there could only be one Greg," said my mother. "Really he is most forceful ... democratic, I suppose he would call it ... insisting on Christian names so soon.”

"I thought your manager might be a little more subservient," I said.

"We mustn't expect that here. I imagine they are no respecters of position. It's the way of the country.”

"He's brash," I said.

"I thought you took quite a dislike to him," Jacco told me. "I thought he should have shown more respect to Papa.”

"Oh, he wasn't disrespectful," my father defended him. "That's what you call masculine dignity.”

"I thought it was arrogance," I insisted.

"I believe he's a good man from what I gather," said my father firmly- "Well, we shall find out.”

"I don't see why we should delay looking at the property," said Jacco.

"No reason at all. We'll go as soon as Greg can arrange the transport." He looked at my mother.

"I'll be all right on horseback," she said. "I've been riding all my life, haven't I? A few miles of this bush or whatever they call it isn't going to worry me.”

"It'll be a bit rough going. We shall stay the nights at those inns.”

"Well, I must say I don't fancy bivouacking-even under the expert guidance of our Greg.”

"No. I shall insist on the inns.”

"Helena can't come," I said.

"Oh dear," said my mother.

"Matthew can take care of her," put in Jacco. "After all, that's his job now.”

"She's nervous still. She clings in spite of everything.”

My mother said: "I think Annora had better stay here while we investigate. She's right about Helena. The poor girl is in a nervous state. She went through a lot with poor little John Milward. To my mind he ought to know what's happened. Anyway, you stay here, Annora. We'll report. Trust me to see that when you come to the property you have as much comfort as I can get for you.”

"I'm longing to see it all.”

"So are we all," said Jacco. "I don't see why Matthew Hume can't look after Helena.”

However it was finally decided that I should stay and a few days later my father and mother and Jacco set out, under the guidance of Greg, to see the property. They had acquired good horses and all that they would need for the journey. It had all been arranged with efficiency, said my father, by Greg.