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PRESBYTERIAN GIRLS' COLLEGE del

GEELONG

THE, .LUCERNIAN

•

Vol. 2, r7A51 1.1

FROM THE ARGUS CAMERA SUPPLEMENT

THE PORTICO

MISS PRATT

AND

PREFECTS, 1932

THE LUCLR_ IAN The MAGAZINE of the PRESBYTERIAN GIRLS' COLLEGE GEELONG.

Editor : K. BADGER. Editorial Committee : L. TILLEY, 5. MANN, J. ADAM, L. TWEEDDALE.

(Becton() : Henwood & Dancey, Printers, Ryrie Street

Contents.

‹!

(7)

Foreword

. . .

Editorials . . . • • • • • • • • • • • • Council Notes . . . • . . • House Notes . . . . . •

Page 6 7

••

9 11

•. •• •• • •

Boarders' Notes . . . . • • . • • . . • . . . .

Kindergarten Notes . . .

.• ••

. •. ••

. . ..

General Notes . . . . . •. . • . . . . . . .

. ..

School Activities . .

Old Collegians' Notes . . . . . . .

Parents' and Friends' Association . .

• • • •

24'

In Memoriam . . . .

. ••

Examination Successes . .

• •

Salvete and Valete . . . . •

.• .

Prize Essay . .

•

Some Events of the Year . . .

•

• • • •

Visits and Visitors . . . • • . • • .

Great Days and Jolly Days . . . • •

. ..

•. .. ..

Travelogues . .

Verse and Prose . . • • • .

• •

Acknowledgments . , . • . . • • • .

Office-Bearers. The Head Mistress (Miss G. Pratt, M. A. Dip. Ed.) is the Patron of all School Clubs and Societies. SENIOR PREFECT : Helen Ferguson. PREFECTS : Lois Mathews, Helen Twaddell, Kathleen Badger, Stella Mann. PROBATIONERS : M. McDowall, J. Borwick, S. Tilley, M. Bell. SPORTS CAPTAIN : Lois Mathews. VICE SPORTS CAPTAIN : Dorothy Anderson. SPORTS COMMITTEE *. H. Ferguson, M. McDowall, L. Mathews, M. Small, B. Appleton, L. Tilley, J. Borwick, H. McCulloch, A. McCallum. ROSLYN HOUSE: Captain, M. McDowall.

Vice-Captain, L. Tilley.

ARDENS HOUSE : Captain, B. Appleton.

Vice-Capt Ain, A. McCallum.

HARRIS HOUSE : Captain, L. Mathews.

Vice-Captain, J. Borwick.

LAWSON HOUSE : Captain, M. Small.

Vice-Captain, H. McCulloch.

LIBRARIANS : H. Twaddell, S. Mann. CHRISTIAN UNION : President. L. Tilley. Secretary, M. Bell.

Recording S ecretary, L. Tweeddale,

CAMERA CLUB : President, Miss Nicholson.

Secretary, M. Bell.

Treasurer, D. Notman.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS : President, Miss Hoban. Vice-President, Miss Paling. Ferguson, M. Simson, M. Meadows, S. Mann (Treasurer). MUSEUM CURATORS : Miss Cooper, H. Twaddell.

Corresponding

Committee, H.

To the Morongo Girls— I have been meditating upon a message of greeting and encouragement to you and, as I have been so occupied, there lies before me one of Canberra's beautiful vistas. Near-by lawns with gay rose beds, trim hedges, shrubs and trees rich and colourful in foliage, and 1)ehind all, the distant hills, "Where every prospect pleases, And only ") ! ! The scene naturally takes my thoughts to your historic home with its fine architectural features, its beautiful well-kept grounds, lovely gardens and aspects. wonder if we realise how fortunate we are to have such an environment. In addition to the natural beauty of Morongo, you also have splendid buildings and equipment, fine teachers, joyous and happy companionship. With all these advantages, there surely will be great results. Fine individual characters are being developed, and yet I know the team spirit permeates all .schoel efforts. Thus will you all be fitted for happy and full lives. each developing her own individuality and natural talents, yet offering those gifts for community and co-operative service for House, School, Home, Country. My heartiest greetings ; my sincerest wishes to you all. H. S. W. LAWSON, Canberra, 25th November, 1932

The Itucerruan. VOL. 2

1. A VOCATION IN LIFE. "Blessed is he who has found his work," wrote Thomas Carlyle, and blessed certainly is the parent whose child has early settled on his chosen vocation. So many fields of opportunity have been opened up in the worlds of science, of art, and of commerce to-day, that it is difficult for growing boys and girls to decide in what direction their chief interest lies, and in what career their particular talents will most make for success. So many at one time or another fall into restless, dissatisfied moods and lose interest in all that is taking place around them. What they need is a vocation, a life-purpose, some ideal of achievement to which they can devote all their energies and dedicate those gifts. whether great or small, with which God has endowed them. Environment plays a large part in moulding the desires and ambitions of the young. Very often some childish longing to pursue a certain career has been effaced through the influence of companions interested in other directions. It is from the dreams of youth that the resolutions of the man or woman

No. 3

spring. The careers of many great explorers and soldiers must have grown from some indefinite, halfrealised longings inspired in boyhood by tales of adventure and stories of distant lands. The vocation need not be a profession—Joseph Conrad, the sailor, is famed for his novels, and Sybil Thorndyke is an admirable wife and mother, besides being one of the world's greatest actresses brit in the lives of most people it makes for greater happiness, greater unity, and greater success when it is so. There may be many interests to beguile one's leisure hours, but they are all better subordinated to the task of fulfilling the chosen vocation. Success may come late in youth. Youth starts out with high hopes only to find in the years of disillusionment that it has taken the wrong path. Some find that their way lies higher—the workman may become a leading politician, as has occurred many times ; others find that they cannot hope to achieve their first wild dreams and must find happiness in some less conspicuous walk of life. A woman, aspiring to be a great artist, may in the end find ample consolation in lief

THE LUCERNIAN.

success as a wife and mother for her failure in the other vocation. To find one's work is to find the key to all the stored-up riches of life, to find the means of developing all the latent faculties which if allowed to sleep would in time become sterile, and it is this which helps to transform men and women from mere types into radiant personalities.

2. OPPORTUNITIES IN DISGUISE. As we review the past year we realise what a very busy one it has been, and how crowded with interest and, ins evitably, how time has flown. It is not of ten that we pause to take notice of the flight of time, especially when we are young. At the most,-towards the end of the year, we remark casually, "How quickly the time has gone !—only a fortnight and then the holidays !" Only as one approaches riper years does the swift passage of time cause one the slightest concern—and then it is usually a faint and fleeting regret at opportunities wasted, and an impotent feeling of irritation that our time has been frittered away on trivialities that could not be avoided, and yet have done us no good. One of these days, we think, we will shake ourselves free of all the useless little activities that civilisation and convention have imposed on us. They will go to that limbo of the past where now repose the back-boards, crinolines, bustles and other paraphernalia that shackled our grandmothers, and we will be able to give our unclidvided attention to the things that matter. And still another year passes, and again we feel that vague dissatisfaction. The trouble is, I think, that very few of us know exactly what are the things Most of us, I am afraid, that matter. take altogether too lofty a view of them. One of us, by dint of a great deal of clawing and scrambling may look over the wall into that mysterious Paradise where

people are doing Great Things, and, seeing only a wizened little man gazing down a microscope, or a couple of angular and worried women vanishing through the doorway of a horrible tenement, will mutter "Freaks !" and thankfully slide clown again on to her own side. Another of us, more humbly, and with greater insight, may find her way there, and, knowing her limitations, may climb back into her own comfortable little world, but yet may carry with her into that smaller sphere some of the principles and aims that guide the Great and Good of the Such a great deal of the unrest of the world of to-day is caused by our trying to shoulder burdens which we are illequipped to carry. We fix our eyes on that far, glittering peak, and kick away the opportunities lying in our path as if they were obstacles, instead of steps. In the world of to-day, nothing is going to be won save by slow and laborious stages. It is a fine thing to have one's eyes set on that impossible ideal, "That heroic for earth too hard," and yet to failk—but how much finer to have that ideal, and to move towards it and to help others move towards it no matter how slowly, no matter if death intervenes, and the work has to be handed on to a successor. There are two or three things during the school year that to my mind bring this most forcibly home. One of them was this—during second term a great deal of time was given up to learning a few little Chinese songs tog-ether with suitable actions, and to collecting- a number of objects, many of them very beautiful, to give some idea of what Chinese art and Chinese life were like. How trifling it all seemed! Yet fourteen other schools were doing the same thing for other countries, and the result of their combined efforts was something which, I think, was far beyond the expectations of

THE LUCERNIAN. everyone who took part in that function of League of Nations Schools Day. Now we feel an almost personal link between ourselves and China—the other schools so do towards the countries they represented—each country of the League represented by those schools has now a totally different meaning for every boy and girl who attended the Prahran Town Hall that afternoon. Another most striking illustration was the visit of Captain Hans Bertram to Morongo. I am quite sure that a great many people, when they heard of his visit here, and saw the photograph in the daily paper, said, "Poor fellow, the idea of dragging him out there to speak to a lot of girls !" Most of us were interested in Captain Bertram before he came, because we had read of his bravery and endurance. When he came to speak to

us with the same courtesy and geniality with which he addressed large and important audiences, our enthusiasm knew no bounds. And we weren't the only Captain Bertram did in many ones. towns in Victoria what he did in Geelong, and the whole of Australia honours him not only for his courage in extremity, but for the simple gratitude that made him do all in his power to help his rescd.- rs in such a practical and unassuming way. These are two outstanding instances. Others, I am sure, will occur to readers of the "Lucernian" if they think. It is the simple and human things—the often trivial things—which we do that so often lead to great and unexpected issues. Let us not then bewail our lost opportunities —let us find a few more next year than we did this.

Council N otes. The Council looks back on 1932 with feelings of pride and thankfulness. It has been a difficult period for all girls' schools. While the number of pupils shows a decrease in comparison with some other years, the Council regarded the enrolment as excellent in the light There is ample of present conditions. evidence that when prosperous times return Morongo will meet with the success it deserves. The Council has been much encouraged to learn that the School is widely known. An evidence of this is the fact that, in connection with the Scholarships being offered at the end of this year, though little press publicity was given, entries have been received from all parts of the State and extend into New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. The Council was glad to hear from Miss Pratt that many of the efforts of

the pupils reflected great credit on them and Morongo. The University examinDorothy ation results were excellent. Adams still continues to add lustre to own name and that of the School by her achievements at the University of MelDistinction was gained by bourne. Morongo through the scholars who took part in the demonstration by Public School girls under the auspices of the Junior League of Nations. Their portrayal of Chinese life was one of the outstanding features of the function and greatly impressed all who saw it. Members of the Dramatic Class staged an ambitious play at their annual entertainment, and carried it through with signal success. The annual sports were held in delightful weather, and were successful in every way. These various functions, successful or otherwise as the girls make them, are the media through

THE LUCERNIAN.

which jmany people form their impressions of the School, and the Council is glad to know the standard of previous years is being well maintained. It is an indication that pupils at all times seek to show their School in the best possible light by their individual and collective efforts. The Council is conscious of the fact that its. efforts are being wonderfully supplemented by the Old Collegians and the Parents' Association. It acknowledges with gratitude the material supDuring the port received from each. year generous financial assistance was received from individual members of Council who donated £850 to the funds of the School, and lent free of interest the sum of £500. The Council was grateful to Mr. John Pettitt for making available a number of horses. With Miss Marianne Pettitt in charge, a riding class has been formed, and many of the pupils have availed themselves of the opportunity of getting instruction and enjoying the splendid exercise such a recreation affords. The large area of Morongo and the beauty of the surrounding country provide attractive surroundings for this innovation in the school curriculum. The golf links are again under grass, and are ready for play. It is hoped that the girls will take advantage of this next season. During the year an alteration was made in the mode of transporting the day pupils to and from the School. Prior to this the pupils travelled by tram to the West terminus and were then taken by 'bus to Morongo. This system had some disadvantages by reason of the delay in transfers from one tram to another. The present arrangement provides for a number of 'buses that operate each morning on routes in proximity to the homes of pupils, and from a number of specified picking-up places they are taken direct

to the School and returned in a similar way each afternoon. The syste.m works well, and is apparently greatly appreciated- by both parents and pupils. All interested in Morongo will be glad to know that Senator the Hon. H. S. W. Lawson and Mr. J. H. McPhillimy were re-elected President and Chairman respectively. The resignations of Messrs W. C. Robertson and W. M. Reid were received with regret by the Council, and welcomes were extended to. Messrs. 0. C. Hearne and J. N. David, who were elected in their place. The Council appreciated the Annual School Service arranged by the Old On Collegians at St. David's Church. each occasion this service has been held the Church has been filled to capacity by the pupils, Staff, Council, Old Collegians and friends. It is not easy to look forward to 19!33 without some feeling of apprehension. There are some empty beds and vacant desks to fill. It is the Council's' earnest desire to achieve this purpose in the coming year. 01(1 Collegians and present pupils can definitely assist by ever being on the alert to locate new pupils. Morongo is the ideal School for girls and can be recommended without any hesitation or qualification. There is no doubt whatever that eventually the School will become one of the great Public Schools. Doubtless both present and past pupils value highly the interest, the selfsacrifice and the generosity displayed by the Council at all times. These notes are being written by the Secretary, who can give information that no member of the Council would like to disclose. Are they aware that, in addition to giving liberally of their time, members of the Council have paid out of their own private means considerably more than one-half of the total moneys contributed, for the establishment and upkeep of the School.

THE LUCERNIAN. Even in these difficult times, when their own affairs are doubtless causing some anxiety-, they are still giving generous donations so that the equipment of the College can be maintained or improved. Remembering this, the writer feels justified in appealing to all interested in Morongo to support the Council in every possible way, in enlisting their active cooperation in securing additional pupils and in making it generally known among their friends that Morongo stands absolutely in the forefront of all that is desirable in education in the truest sense of the word.

Those who have had the privilege of attending Morongo will in the future look back with pride to their association with the School, for in its early days they helped to make its traditions. They will ever remember the influence of Miss Pratt, who, since its inception has been the guiding impulse in all the success that has been achieved by the College, and if the Council's wish is to be realised, will continue to mould the life of the pupils and send them out into the world well equipped mentally, morally and physically to serve their day and generation.

House N otes. ARDENS. Captain: B. Appleton. Vice-Captain: A. McCallum. Ardens reports a very successful year both in work and in sport. In sport the House has secured the Baseball Shield and the Margaret Shannon Cup for running, while they were runners-up in. Basket ball, and third in Swimming. In first term Ardens secured first place in work and sport, and in second term third place. A member of the House, Mona Farrell, was Junior Sports Champion. HARRIS. Captain : L. Mathews. Vice-Captain : J. Borwick. Harris has not been so successful in sport this year as in former years, although the year commenced well, second place being secured in the Swimming Sports, with Lisbia Madden School and Senior Champion. Harris was runner-up for the Baseball Shield, and secured third places in Basket ball -and in the Annual sports, Jean McPhee being Preparatory School Champion.

LAWSON. Captain : M. Small. Vice-Captain: H. McCulloch. Lawson reports a most successful year in sport, having won both the Swimming Shield and the Basket ball. In the Annual Sports they secured second place, with Mary Small as Senior Champion, and in Baseball secured third place. ROSLYN. Captain: M. McDowall. Vice-Captain : L. Tilley.. Although Roslyn occupy a low position in school activities this year, we have worked hard, and hope to be more successful next year. We congratulate Doreen White on being Junior Swimming Champion, Betty Berryman and Doreen White on having gained positions in the school baseball team, and Claire Thorne on having gained a place in the tennis four. \Ve would also like to congratulate Ardens on their successful year. Results for the year :— Swimming, 3rd ; Baseball, 4th ; Basket ball, 4th; Annual Sports, 4th.

THE LUCERNIAN.

Boarders' Notes. Morongo Dear Editor. We are writing as usual to tell you of the year we have spent at Morongo. There are thirty-five of us and the new girls whom we welcomed warmly by threatened initiation soon settled down and became part and parcel of the school. This year we thought we would have to rely on ourselves for our amusements, and so the "Lions and Tigers" have taken turns in providing entertainments on spare Saturday evenings, although as you will see we have been entertained on very many of our evenings. One of our amateur performances was in the form of a "Yo-Yo Wedding," in which all the performers were armed with Yo-Yo's, and garbed in costumes which were nothing if not original. Another was organised by the juniors, six of whom provided a very good programme. Songs, dances and jokes were the special features, the last item being a play, "Debating Day at Morcove," one of the famous Paula Creel stories. Treasure hunts and fancy dress balls have been popular, while dancing and reading have filled up any otherwise empty evenings. During first term we went for a picnic to Ocean Grove. It was lovely, especially as we had with us three old girls, prefects of 1931. We have been to three dramatic performances, all equally enjoyable, namely, the Old Collegians' performance of "Tons of Money," The Hermitage dramatic "Come out of the Kitchen," and our own mystery play "Ten Days before the Wedding." There seems to be a neverending list of outings or entertainments to tell you about, for the more I think the larger it becomes. We went to the concert given by John Brownlee and his assisting artists Rita Miller and Roy Shepherd, and of course we enjoyed it

greatly. For the next fortnight you could hear "Kitty my Love" or "Five Eyes" being sung lustily all over the place ; in fact "My Mother bids me bind my hair" is still going strong. During the Bach revival Miss Moore gave us a beautiful gramophone recital of some of Bach's works, and told us many interesting tales of Bach's family life. Talking about gramophones brings me to the wonderful recital Mr. Birdsey gave us of Gilbert and Sullivan's opera "Iolanthe." The Nightmare Song was encored vigorously, and the whole evening was enjoyed tremendously. An especially pleasant afternoon we spent at the Sacred Heart Convent, where a very exciting basket-ball match was played between the two schools. The Sisters and the girls kindly showed us all over the school and house, and later we had afternoon tea in the hall. That evening we listened to Mr. Birdsey's gramophone recital of "Iolanthe," which we greatly enjoyed. So we had a Red-letter Day ! On the first Saturday of third term, Miss Pratt and the House Prefects were hostesses at an informal dance, our partners being the senior boarders of Geelong College ; and this term many of our number spent an equally pleasant evening at the College. We are very much indebted to Miss Vera Reeves, who came one Saturday evening and told us about her travels, illustrating her talk with some beautiful pictures shown on the epidiascope. One wet Sunday, very kindly escorted by Miss Nicholson, we went to St. David's and heard Norman Menzies sing before he left for England. Twice we have had moving pictures, and our thanks are due to Mr. Storrer and the Shell Company, and Mr. Porter and the Kodak Company.

THE LUCERNIAN. Mr, Bull, from Corio, gave us a wonderful description of the Passion Play and showed us beautiful coloured pictures through the epidiascope. Those were very much enjoyed by all present. Now there are four concerts for which we have to thank Mr. Darling, of Corio. The first was given by Miss Sutherland and the Procter trio, it was greatly appreciated, especially the Chopin Ballade in C Minor. The second was by John Brownlee and Roy Shepherd, and we heard again our favourite "King Charles" and many other songs sung by John Brownlee, and some beautiful pieces of Chopin played by Roy Shepherd. It is here that we would like to say how much we appreciated these opportunities of hearing really good music which Mr. Darling has so freely given us. The next of these series was given by Mr. W. It McKie, Mr. J. J. McKi'nnell, and Mr. F. W. Turner, and was composed of some of the works of Brahms, Grieg', Rachmaninoff and Mozart, while the last was a delightful musical evening given by members of the Royal Victorian Liedertafel. and John Simons, the programme consisting of Popular Chanties and Old Folk Songs. As well as beautiful unaccompanied part songs such as "One More River" and other favourites. Mr. John Simons played some items from the works of Bach, Schubert, Liszt and Rachmaninoff.

Perhaps the most delightful feature of boarding this year is the fact that we can go riding. It is a novelty, as it is the first time we have ever had, horses. At present everyone is in deep mourning for "Black Satan," but fortunately Gyp, Young Gyp, and Phar Lap are very popular, and we look forward to many happy afternoons on them. We have a number of animals at Morongo, including two dogs, fowls, dear little ducklings, pigs, sheep, calves, cows, an intermittent cat or two, and last, but not least, the possum, who must, from the noise he makes, be of heroic size, though we have only caught glimpses of him. The boarders are to the fore this year in sport, although unfortunately we lowered our reputation at the end of second term through dropping the flag three times in the Flag races. However, we wish the clay-girls the best of luck in the future, and hope that they, will realise, through these notes what a wonderful life we have, and that things are not so dull, nor are we so "barred in" as they profess to believe, We remain, Sincerely yours, THE HAPPY BOARDERS, :0:

Kindergarten Notes. We are eighteen Kinders, Trying to be good; We very often don't succeed, But still we wish we could. We're learning how to work, To sing, and dance, and drill, To fit ourselves for real things At the School on Bell Post Hill.

Before we go any further, we wish to acknowledge the many kindnesses of

some of our friends. We wish to thank Joan Berryman's father for the beautiful Dolls' House that he made us. It was an exciting day for us when he had to take down the door to get it in. Then the Kindergarten Chauffeur deserves our sincerest thanks for his neverfailing kindness in making his car and himself available whenever we wanted to

THE

LUCERNIAN.

go anywhere. Surely you've heard of him ? Why, he's Margaret Neilson's father ! We have another friend in Mr. S. E. Dickens, who arranged an excursion to his chicken farm. (Yes, Kinders do have excursions). We loved seeing the chickens coming out in the incubators—some of them looking very bedraggled and unhappy, poor dears. Another very useful addition to our schoolroom is our little museum, given us by "Dickie." It has held strange treasures during the year, including an elegant pig-fish, which objected to displaying its beauty merely at the Kindergarten, and had to be transferred to Morongo, where it felt that its setting was worthy of it. Our tadpoles are numerous, and of varying sizes, but they

seem very loth to leave their childhood behind them, perhaps because of their environment. One poor little tadpole family met an untimely death due to the misplaced zeal of one small Kinder who fed them on breadcrumbs. We have borrowed the House Points Chart idea from Miss Cooper's room, but so far the charts are looking a little forlorn. This is a very busy time of the year as you know—Garden Party Concert, presents to make, and examinations to be passed, until finally the great night of December 2nd arrives. We shall look forward to seeing you then, so excuse us now as we have a lot of work to do. Love from THE KINDERS.

•o•

School Activities. must try if we are to impress the girls of CHRISTIAN UNION. A General Meeting was held in first Calcutta, as they impressed us. Later in first term Miss Joyce, the term in which it was decided to continue The following were Travelling Secretary of the Australian the four circles. Christian Union Movement, came to the elected to the committee :— school and told us about the work of this President.—Loraine Tilley. world-wide movement. Corresponding Secretary.—Margaret She explained that the whole aim of Bell. the movement was to try to carry out, Recording Secretary.—Lesley Tweed- modelling our lives on that of Jesus dale. Christ, the wish expressed in the words Miss Pratt, Miss Nicholson, Miss "Thy Kingdom Come." Hoban and Miss Booth kindly consented Branches have been formed in many to take the circles this year. During first schools in many lands, but Australia is term we were visited by Miss Rivett, who far away from the rest of the world, so told us about the United High School, Australians must try to bridge the gap, Calcutta. all working together. It was suggested Miss Rivett described the work the that we begin a correspondence with Indian girls did, in and out of school, and other branches, and Miss Joyce agreed to illustrated her talk by showing us some give us addresses of other members, so of their artistic work. It was beautifully that now a regular link is established done, and made us realise how hard we with other schools.

THE LUCERNIAN. In second term, the Annual Schools' Day was held at Morongo. In the morning we were given an interesting address on the aim of the movement. After this we were divided into circles and spent an hour discussing the message of Jesus. After an enjoyable lunch we had games, then set out for a walk to the Moorabool River, which we reached after slithering down a steep hill. After some exciting games we returned to school to tea. The day finished with Vespers, and every girl of all the schools represented returned home, hoping that Schools' Day would be repeated every year. A reunion was held at the Hermitage a fortnight later, and the friendships of Schools' Day were renewed. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and thank the Hermitage girls for entertaining us On the following Sunday, a service was held at Yarra Street Methodist Church, preceded by tea at the Sunday School, where Rev. J. J. Booth of St. Paul's gave us an interesting address. At the evening service the Rev. Calvert Barber gave an impressive sermon on the spiritual ties which, through Christ, bind man to man. On July 28th, Mr. D. F. Griffiths visited us and told us an interesting story, dealing with a small boy Esli and his sister, who lived in Christ's time. Mr. Griffiths told this in his most interesting way, which showed as plainly the moral of the story. Later in second term Rev. Calvert Barber gave a thoughtful and inspiring address. His address, based on the text, "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what ye have need of—therefore pray," was helpful in its suggestions for meeting the difficulties found by people in their thought of prayer. Also in the second term Mr. Pratt, another travelling secretary of the A.S.C.M., paid us a visit and told us of

the aims of the movement, and its desire to unite all branches together. The last address of the year was given by the Rev. W. Alston, who spoke to us of the deeper meaning of life and of the necessity of spending our leisure time aright. •o•

DEBATING NOTES. The art of public-speaking has been more widely cultivated in the school this year than in previous years. It was decided to do away with the impromptu speeches held last year, and to substitute prepared lectures. The middle school girls were given an opportunity to speak at the fortnightly meetOn the ings held in the dinner hour. whole these have proved a great success, several girls showing distinct promise as speakers. The subjects chosen were all those which would prove of educational interest. Among them were "Life in Iceland," "The Trans-Australian Railway," "Birds of the Australian Bush," and "The Great Wall of China." The senior girls have had to undergo the more trying ordeal of speaking in Assembly. During the school term two 6th form girls spoke every week for approximately three minutes on such subjects as "Women in Parliament," "What is Communism ?" and "The Ottawa Conference." During third term, however, the Sixth Form are to be given a rest, and the school is to have the pleasure of hearing the girls of the Fifth Form air their views on such subjects as "Our Duty to the Dark Races," "The Value of Speed Tests," and "Does the World owe more to the fanatic than to the broadminded man." We are anticipating some heated discussions on these questions.

THE LUCERNIAN.

There has been only one house debate this year, Ardens House was represented in this by Kathleen Badger, Stella Mann, and Helen Ferguson, and Roslyn by Lorraine Tilley, Margaret McDowall and Margaret Bell. The subject was a large one, "Is the League of Nations a Success ?" but the speeches of the girls showed that they had read widely on the question, and were thus able to make an interesting debate. Ardens, who took the negative side, won, owing to their better delivery. It is unanimously agreed that this business of public-speaking is at first an ordeal, but there will come a time when most girls will be grateful for the practice which they have had at school before a uncritical audience. comparatively Already some hardened victims declare that they no longer consider the matter with anxiety, but rather with a suggestion of sang-froid, and almost (be it whispered !) pleasure !

for their nocturnal ramblings, just when our minds were full of ghosts, sliding panels, black-gloved hands appearing around unexpected corners, disappearances and "all that sort of thing." The main difficulties to be faced were the various "effects" designed to frighten the audience, and these were heroically overcome by Miss Madden, to whom we cannot be too grateful. We also want to thank Miss M. Nicholson for her untiring energy in all directions, and especially for her ready supply of safety pins. "Ten Days before the Wedding'' was preceded by the curtain-raiser "When the Wheels Run Down," in which Jessie McAdam as the rheumaticky, but not unromantic old spinster, Clare Thorne as her younger sister whose fiance went to South Africa . fifteen years before, and Isobel Parker as the maid, who was "carrying on" with the postman, were excellent. In "Ten Days" the cast was as follows :

DRAMATIC NOTES.

Mrs Kinross . . . . . . . . Helen McCulloch Nancy Kinross . . . . . Jean Venters Peggy Wayne . . • • . . Helen Ferguson Madge Tremayne . • • • • Jessie McAdam Minna Wayne . • • . . Minnie Harding Mrs. Haggerty ▪ . . Lois Mathews Mrs. Cameron . • . Margaret Simson Mrs. Hobart Heather McKenzie Cook . . •• • . . Betty Appleton Tweenie . . . . Jean Gordon • Kitchenmaid . . Shirley McLean •

This year we had great difficulty in deciding upon a play, and we had started work upon "Milestones," before the more exciting mystery play "Ten Days before the Wedding" arrived from England as a present for Miss Haase. Once the words mystery play" were mentioned the whole class became very enthusiastic, and we decided to adopt it for our annual So "Milestones" was dispensed play. with, and we embarked, full of pleasant anticipation, on something more novel.

Marmalade Workers.--Johnsie Adam, Nellie Munro, Nancy Munro, Gloria Lock, Dorothy Notman, Morva Long, Betty Backwell, Alison Simson.

From the first we endeavoured to surround it with as much mystery as possible and spread the most gruesome tales among the more credulous boarders. It was fortunate that several 'possums decided on that particular time of the year

The performance that the cast gave was excellent. Jean Venters, who had to play a very exacting part as the heroine, was most convincing both as the dutiful, but scheming daughter, and as the disguised and mysterious secretary.

THE LUCERNIAN. Helen Ferguson, as her friend and confidante, gave a very pleasing interpretation of her part, as did Jessie McAdam too with the help of spectacles and a very broad Scotch accent. Helen McCulloch as Mrs. Kinross, and Minnie Harding as Minna Wayne were both most convincing, and fully took their share in keeping up the suspense of the audience. Lois Mathews as the impressive Mrs. Haggerty was most effective. The comic relief was very ably supplied by the domestic staff of Dallochry, and by the Dundee Marmalade workers, who come to visit the "haunted" Betty Appleton, as cook, was house. excellent, and was ably supported by Shirley McLean, Esther Blakiston and Jean Gordon. Margaret Simson and Heather McKenzie, two typical "Scotch bodies" were most realistic, and all their companions, the marmalade workers, by dint of a great deal of by-play, contributed hugely to the delight of the audience. Miss Haase and the girls are particularly to be congratulated on putting on the play so successfully. With so many properties, the necessity of providing and keeping up an atmosphere of mystery, the difficult lightilag, and the absence of any male part, it was by*no means an easy task. •0:

LIBRARY NOTES. This year the following books have been bought for the library from the funds :—Footsteps in the Dark (Heyer), Shadows on the Rock (Gather), Raymond the Dangerous (Bethel), The Poor Gentleman (Hay), Flynn of the Inland (Idriess), Ramsden (Mundy), The Right of Way (Parker), First the Blade (Clamence Dane). We wish to thank Mrs. David for the gift of a beautiful, illustrated book "The

Duchess of York" Mr. Storrer, "Australian Wildflowers," and "Australian Birds." The membership of the first and second terms was good, but this term the numbers have fallen off considerably, as the senior girls are busy with examinations. We would be pleased, however, if more juniors joined, as the junior section of the library is large, and contains many interesting books. We wish to thank all girls who have helped in any way with library work. :0:

MUSEUM NOTES. Since the last Museum Notes were published, the school museum has been enriched by a number of interesting curios. From the Federated Malay States, Miss Glasgow, who always bears the Morongo Museum in mind during her travels, has sent a Malay kris, a Tibetan prayer printed on paper manufactured in Tibet, and a number of coins from Persia, Tibet, Straits Settlements, India, and the Philippine Islands. Miss Booth has presented some interesting coins, a Japanese woman's hair ornament, a calendar with paintings on rice paper by the famous Japanese artist, Hiroshige, and German postage stamps amounting to 71,175,111 marks, being amount required to send a letter from Germany to Australia. Miss McCullough has presented a stamp album, and the Curators of the Museum will be glad to receive stamps from time to time to add to this collection. Miss Cooper, a specimen from the junior section of hobbies recently displayed by the girls of the P.L.C., Melbourne, representing a fierce croco-

THE LUCERNIAN. •

dile; made of gum-nuts, and gay in green and yellow paint, and some curious soap nuts from India. These nuts lather freely when moistened, and rubbed between the palms of the hands, and it is stated, that the brilliant_ colours used by the Indians in their cotton manufactures never fade, if the material is washed with these soap nuts before being dyed. The following gifts are from the girls : —Betty Appleton, a book of landscapes and pressed flowers from the Holy Land ; Verna Robley, a copy of "The Times" published during the general strike of‘ 1926, a strike aimed at the complete disorganisation of the social and domestic life of the United Kingdom. The strike failed of its object, but for several days printing-presses were stopped all over England, and "The Times," the mighty "Thunderer" of Disraeli's novels, was reduced to a single type-written sheet ; Pat Elvins, a booklet of Australian wild flowers in colours ; Joyce Mann, a silver quarter-dollar from U.S.A.; Marcia Chapman, an Australian boomerang; Morva Long, a collection of medals commemorating the coronation of Edward VII and George V., the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and other notable events ; Loraine Tilley, splendid specimen of a fossil beetle, and coins, including a rare English penny struck in 1797 ; Alison McPhee, a package of French hank notes for small amounts, issued during the great war by numerous French provinces, and not redeemable until six months after the end of the war, and several foreign coins, including two from Borneo, showing the effigies of the great Englishman, Sir James Brooke, who became Rajah of Sarawak, North Borneo, and of his nephew, Sir Charles Brooke, who succeeded him as Rajah, and who achieved great success in the suppression of piracy and head-hunting ; Clare Thorne, specimens of blister and sheet copper, from that very famous

copper mine, Mt. Lyell, Tasmania ; Judy Collins, specimen of sugar-cane from Queensland; Dorothy Morris, fine specimen of leaf insect ; Esther Blakiston, collection of beetles ; Jessie Borwick; and Helen Twaddell, specimens of gypsum and salt crystals from the Salt Works, Geelong; Betty Berryman, specimen of a quaint fish, called with some show of reason, "pig-face"; and Helen Twaddell, a fossilised object, known as the "blackfellow's potato," some shells from Tasmania, and a relic from the old mining clays a set of gold-miner's scales, used many years ago at the Bencligo diggings. The Shield for 1932 has been awarded to Dorothy Batten for her very interesting gifts of an early Victorian silver chatelaine, a silver-mounted tapestry purse, showing initials and date, 1764, a tiger's tooth mounted in gold as a brooch, and a boomerang from Western Australia. :0 :

GUIDE NOTES. The year opened well with a membership of twenty-one Guides, forming three patrolS. Unfortunately it was impossible to arrange meetings more than once a fortnight, owing to the amount of other activities going on after school. The Guides were very sorry to, lose their captain, Miss Jones, at the end of 1931 ; she had done a. great deal of valuable and enthusiastic work for the Guides, and we Miss Nicholson miss her very much. took over the captaincy with Enid Wilson as Lieutenant.. During first term a number of the Guides went for a tramp along the Moorabool River towards The curiosity, with whicl-, Batesford. various farm animals regarded them did nothing to hinder their enjoyment. A great deal of the Guides' time this year was taken up in preparing for the The.. district exhibit. Stradbroke Cup.

THE LUCERNIAN.

work. This year we have enrolled five tweenies, and we were also very pleased to receive three Brownies from other We have three sixes :—Elves, packs. with June Elvins as sixer ; Pixies, under Dorothy Batten, while the Imps have Dorothy Morris as their leader. At Brownie meetings every Friday, Brown Owl tells very interesting stories, and we play very nice games. We have been making a bead curtain to help the Guides. During the year we went to a party in Geelong, at which most of the Brownie packs were present. Several Brownies are working vtry hard to get their golden hand, and some are also working for their golden bar. We owe a lot to Miss Booth and to Miss Pettitt for the work they have done for us this year, and the Brownies give them their heartiest of thanks.

took the form of a child's nursery for which Morongo (Vth Geelong) provided a pair of blankets made on the hand-loom, and a set of very shaky walls constructed ingeniously, if not beautifully of bamboo, string, old sides-to-middle sheets and wall paper. During third term Company affairs have lapsed somewhat, largely owing to preoccupation with tests and the approaching examinations and other similar bug-bears, but it is to be hoped that they will be revived again after these have passed.

:o: BROWNIE NOTES. This year we have had a very happy time with Miss Booth as Brown Owl, and Miss Pettitt as Tawny Owl. We were very glad to welcome Miss Falkiner, who came to gain experience in Brownie

THE THREE SIXERS. :o

General Notes. SPORTS NOTES. On the whole, this year, sport has been very successful, the teams have done well, and there seem to be many very promising juniors, who will have to take their places in the teams within the next few years. The house matches have been very exciting, keen competition being shown in every branch of sport. Many hard fights have been witnessed, especially in the junior matches. The Swimming Sports were a great success, the shield this year going to Lawson, whom we all congratulate. Several girls represented the school at the combined schools sports at Brighton, and although no places were gained, every girl swam very well. Thanks are due to Mr. F. D. Walter, who gave up

some of his time to coach the girls taking part. Only two baseball matches have been played this year, both of which we lost. We realise that our girls were under a disadvantage, the matches both being away from home, one against Ballarat Grammar and the other against . Clarendon. We have done very well in tennis, having won all our matches ; but we were very sorry that our matches against Lowther Hall and Stratherne could not be finished on account of the weather. The basket ball team has had a very much more successful year this year than last. We defeated both the teams in our association, Ballarat Grammar and Clarendon, the latter by one goal only. We invited Lowther Hall and Stratherne

THE LUCERNIAN.

down to play us, the victory in the first case going to us, and the second ending in a draw. A cordial invitation was extended to the whole school to, attend a match against the Sacred Heart College. After a fierce struggle the victory came to Morongo, but we were not so successful in the return match played on our own ground, Sacred Heart College defeating us by five goals. The Annual Sports were held on Saturday, October 22rd, Ardens winning the Margaret Shannon Cup for the first time. We congratulate them, and also the three champions, Mary Small, Mona Farrell and Jean McPhee. ----:0:

ANNUAL SWIMMING SPORTS. Conditions were good for the annual swimming sports which were held at the Men's Eastern Baths on the 7th March, 1932. There was a large number of spectators. Miss M. Pettitt (sports mistress) was in charge. Mesdames Cyril Blakiston and G. Madden judged the diving, and the other officials were members of the staff. The House Championship was won by Lawson House with 65 points ; Harris, 55 points, was second ; Ardens, 32 points, was third ; and Roslyn, 26 points, was fourth. Following are the results :— Thirty yards, under 14—M. Meadows, 1; D. White, 2; A. Carnell, 3. Senior egg and

spoon—L. Mathews, 1; H. McCulloch, 2; E. Blakiston, 3. Junior back stroke—M. Meadows, 1; S. McDonald, 2; J. Price, 3. Senior back stroke—D. Anderson, 1; B. Senior Breast Appleton, 2; S. Mann, 3. stroke—E. Blakiston, 1; M. Small, 2; S. McBeginners' race—B. Bartlett, 1; Lean, 3. D. Batten, 2; M. Pettitt, 3. 25 yards under 12—B. McDonald, 1; B. Eaton, 2; B. Bartlett, 3. School Championship—L. Mathews, 1; E. Blakiston, 2; S. McLean, 3. Junior egg and spoon—M. Meadows, 1; J. Price, 2; A. SimHouse Relay—Lawson, 1; Roslyn, son, 3. 2; Harris, 3; Ardens, 4. Junior Championship—M. Meadows and D. White, equal

first; A. Carnell, 3. Senior Championship E. Blakiston, 1; S. McLean, 2; S. Mann, 3. Obstacle Race—S. McLean, 1; B. Appleton, 2; M. Small, 3. 40 yards, over 14—E. Blakiston, 1; M. Small, 2; S. McLean, 3. Junior breast stroke—R. Connery, 1; B. Eaton, 2; A. Carnell, 3. Old Collegians—L. Maddern, 1; J. Griffiths, 2; L. Hiddlestone, 3. Boarders v. Day Girls—Day Girls, 1; Boarders, 2. Junior diving—J. Price, 1; R. Connery, 2; A. Carnell, 3. Senior diving—L. Mathews, 1; E. Blakiston, 2; J. Adam, 3. Junior long dive—R. Connery, 1; A. Carnell, 2; M. McKinlay, 3. Senior long dive—J. Mann, 1; S. Mann, 2; L. Mathews, 3. :0 :

ANNUAL SPORTS. The perfect weather on October 24th, attracted a large number of people to Morongo to witness the annual school sports. Miss Pettitt, the sports mistress, was responsible for the organisation of the events, which were carried out without -any delay. As far as the pupils were concerned, each race was a factor in the winning of the coveted Margaret Shannon Gold Cup, awarded each year to the house gaining the highest aggregate at Tense excitement reigned the sports. as the officials calculated the percentages, and added them to the figures of the previously decided events. At the end of the afternoon, the victory of Ardens House was announced, and greeted by enthusiastic cheers. During the interval, the Chairman and the Principal entertained a large number of official guests at afternoon tea in the Assembly Hall. A feature of this year's sports was the large number of Old Collegians and parents, who came from a distance. Many of these waited for the annual church service at St. David's the next evening. The beauty of the garden, with the wistaria, roses and ranunculi out in their full glory, combined with a fresh, clear

-THE LUCERNIAN, clay, which enhanced the view of Corio Bay from the sports field, made this clay one of the most enjoyable we have had. Results were :Fifty yards, under 11-N. Cameron, 1; A.

McPhee, 2; P. David, 3. Sack race, junior75 J. Price, 1; M. Farrell, 2; A. Simson, 3. yards, Prep. Champ.-J. McPhee, 1; J. Sack race, seniorCollins, 2; E. Ebbott, 3. J. lVIann, 1; N. Stewart, 2; A. McCallum, 3. Egg and spoon, junior-J. Price, 1; M. Pettitt, Egg and spoon, senior-L. 2; J. Simms, 3. Tilley, 1; H. Twaddell, 2; J. Matheson, 3. Inter-House Flag, junior-Lawson, 1; Ardens, 100 yards, Senior Champ.2; Harris, 3. M. Small, 1; I. Ayre, 2; G. Lock, 3. 50 yards, skipping, prep.-E. Ebbot, 1; G. Ives, 2; J. Needle and thread, senior-A. McPhee, 3. McCallum, 1; M. Small, 2; E. David, 3. 100 yards, junior champ.-M. Farrell, 1; J. 75 yards, skipping, Bennie, 2; J. Price, 3. senior champ.-M. Small, 1; J. Adam, 2; N. Flag Race, boarders v. day Stewart, 3. 50 yards, under 10-N. girls-Boarders Cameron, 1; R. West, 2; Z. Hiddlestone, 3. 50 yards, under 10, kinder-J. Berryman, 1; Inter-House M. Robinson, 2; H. Purnell. 3. Flag, senior-Ardens, 1; Harris, 2; Lawson, Needle and thread, junior-J. Price, 1; 3. 75 yards. Senior M. Pettitt. 2; P. Simms. 3. Champ.-M. Small, 1; I. Ayre, 2: M. Purnell, 75 yards, Junior Champ.-M. Farrell. 1; 2. 50 yards. Prep. J. Bennie. 2; A. Heard, 3. Champ.-E. Ebbott, 1; G. Ives, 2; J. Collins, Blind drive. senior-B. Appleton and J. 3. Matheson, 1; H. McCulloch and L. Tweedd ale. 2; M. Purnell and A. McCallum, 3. Blind drive, junior-M. Paterson and M. Farrell, 1: R. Nagger and E. Ebbot, 2; G. Blakiston- and Potato race, prep.-J. McR. Connery, 3. InterPhee, 1; R. Connery. 2; E. Ebbott, 2. House crocodile-Lawson, 1; Harris, 2; Ardens, 3. Potato race, kinder.-M. Robinson, 1; J. Bartle, 2; J. Bull. 3. Siamese race, open-H. Twaddell and M. Small. 1; B. Appleton and J. Matheson, 2; H. Ferguson P W. May, 3. Three-legged race, juniorJ. Price and C. Buchanan, 1; R. Connery and G. Blakiston, 2; M. Meadows and A. Simson. 3. Three-legged race, senior-M. Small and

H. Twaddell, 1; S. McLean and J. Gordon, 2; 50 yards, C. Thorne and B. Berryman, 3. skipping, Junior Champ.-M. Farrell, 1; M. Meadows, 2; M. Northey, 3. 75 yards, under 13-G. Ives, 1; E. Ebbott, 2; J. McPhee, 3. 30 yards, under 7-G. Bartle, 1; M. Henderson, 2; M. Neilson, 2. Ball passing-Lawson, 1; Roslyn, 2. Leader ball-Harris, 1; Ardens, 2. Egg and spoon, prep.-R. Nagger, 1; E. Ebbott, 2; D. Morris, 3. Potato race, juniorM. Northey, 1; J. Rowe, 2; E. Buchanan, 3. Egg and spoon, kinder.-M. Robinson, 1; M. Neilson, 2; I. Arnott, 3. Potato race, seniorM. Small, 1; M. Purnell, 2; B. Berryman, 3. Little Sisters' Race-June Backwell, 1; Nancy Obstacle race, Wallace, 2; Valerie Ives, 3. open-B. Appleton, 1; J. Mann, 2; H. TwadObstacle race, kinder.-J. Bull, 1; dell, 3. M. Cooke, 2; B. Nagger, 3, Little Brothers' Race-J. Ferguson, 1; H. Martin, 2; B. McOld Collegians-L. Gill, 1; C. Phee, 3. Open race, 100 Roebuck, 2; I. Hirst, 3. yards-M. Small, 1; M. Farrell, 2; I. Ayre, 3. Finished Events-100 yards, senior handicop-1VI. Small, 1; I. Ayre, 2; G. Lock, 3. 75 yards, junior handicap-M. Farrell, 1; N. Basket ball throwPaterson, 2; J. Bennie, 3. ing, Senior Championship-M. Purnell, 1; Basket ball Nellie Munro, 2; V. Curry, 3. throwing, Junior Championship-L. Tweeddale, 1; M. Meadows, 2; W. White, 3. Basket ball throwing, Prep. Championship-R. Nagger, 1; G. Nagger, 2; R. Connery, 3. Baseball throwing, Senior Championship-I. Ayre, 1; S. McLean, 2; L. Mathews, 3. Baseball throwing, Junior Championship-J. Bennie, 1; P. Simms, 2; W. White; 3. Baseball throwing, Prep. Championship-J. McPhee, 1; R. Nagger, 2; M. Brownhill, 3. House Championships: Ardens-N. Stewart, 1; M. Farrell, 2; I. Bond, 3. Harris-I. Ayre, 1; G. Lock, 2- L. Mathews, 3. RoslynJ. Bennie, 1; C. Thorne, 2; L. Jones, 3. Lawson-M. Small, 1; Nellie Munro, 2; S. McLean, 3. Margaret Shannon Cup.-Ardens House, 1; Lawson, 2; Harris, 3; Roslyn, 4. Senior Championship.-M. Small. Junior Championship.-M. Farrell. Preparatory Championship.-J. McPhee.

THE LUCERNIAN.

Old Collegians' Association President: Miss Vera Reeves. Vice-Presidents: Mrs. Ingpen, Miss Edith Leigh. Committee: Mrs. Batten, Misses Kathleen Roebuck, Gladys Wynn, Jennie Dunoon, Madge Bradley, Marjorie Gordon, Enid Wilson, Gwen Madden, Marjorie Blakiston, Gwen Purnell, Madge Turner. Treasurer: Gwen Dancey. Acting Secretary: Mollie Shirra. Assistant Secretary: Connie Lancaster.

The Annual Re-union of the Association for 1931 was held on Saturday, 12th December, at Morongo. Mrs. Batten, the President, presided at the Business Meeting held in the afternoon. The Annual Report and Balance Sheet were read, and a cheque for E40 was handed to Miss Pratt from the Association, for the School Prize Fund. Our secretary, Jean McLennan, asked for six months' leave of absence, which was granted ; Mollie Shirra was appointed acting secretary. The election of office-bearers then took place, after which high tea was served in the School Dining Hall. Mrs. Batten welcomed the incoming president, Vera Reeves, and asked her to take the chair. Miss Pratt, representatives of the P.L.C. Old Collegians' Association, the school staff, and prefects were our guests at the Re-union. In the evening, crazy whist was played and a happy time was spent. Our main object this year has been to raise money for our Scholarship Fund. We intend giving one day-girl bursary of £12/10/- for two years, and one boarding bursary of i50 for one year (1933). The chief source of revenue has been from the Bridge Club, which was inaugurated in April last, and this Club has proved a great success, socially as well as financially.

The Annual At Home at which the Old Girls were hostesses to their friends, was held at Corio Club, on July 20th. Seven debutantes were presented by Miss Reeves to the Mayor and Mayoress of Newtown (Cr. and Mrs. J. T. Gill) and Miss Pratt. The interior of Corio Club was transformed into a garden scene. We would like to thank Mrs. Simson, Mrs. Griffiths and Mrs. Dancey, for their valuable assistance on the day of the dance. Two Tennis Tournaments were held during July and August, and we are very grateful to St. George's Tennis Club and the Corio Club, for placing their courts at our disposal. Mr. Roy Birdsey came to the Kindergarten, on September 12th, and gave us a delightful gramophone recital of Gilbert and Sullivan's opera "The Pirates of Penzance." We held a very successful dance and bridge evening at the Y.W.C.A. Rooms, on October 11th. The proceeds were devoted to our Scholarship Fund. We would like to say that the fund is still open, and we will be pleased to receive any additional donations. There was a record number of Old Girls present at the school sports held on October 22nd. The Old Girls' race was won by Lorna Gill. The Annual School Service was held at St. David's Church, on Sunday, October 23rd, at 7 p.m. The School Chaplain, Rev. A. Simms, conducted the service, and his address was an inspiration to us all. Ivy Potter sang a solo during the service. We congratulate Lyn Baird, who has been awarded the Victorian Free Kindergarten Union's Scholarship for 1933-34. This scholarship entitles the holder to

THE LUCERNIAN.

free training at the Kindergarten Training College, Kew. We also congratulate Mavis Cherry on graduating as a BA., and Dorothea Adams on winning the University Shakespeare Prize.

Hilda Tucker to Mr. A. Wotherspoon. Stella Pagels to Mr. A. C. P. Selle. Marian West to Mr. V. Mackepeace. Thelma Gibb to Mr. J. McAllister.

Mr. and Mrs. Hearne have just completed their second year of office as Mayor and Mayoress of Geelong. We would like to congratulate them on the very able way they have carried out their duties

MOLLIE SHIRRA, Acting Secretary.

We would like to thank Valmai Thomas, of Colac, for donating a pair of book-ends to the Bridge Club as a trophy. We extend our sincere sympathy to Ivy Potter and Enid Wilson, Mollie Paterson and Marjorie Craig, who have suffered bereavement during the year. Margery Morris, who has been in Bethesda Hospital for over two years, has so far improved that she has been able to go home. It is to be hoped that Margery's health will continue to improve, and she carries all our good wishes with her. We congratulate Dorothy Adams on her appointment as Joint Tutor in English, at Ormond, for 1933. Marriages.—Florence Davies to Mt. J. Money. Inga Dowsett to Mr. C. Hendy. Jessie Lowe to Mr. H. Silburn. Margaret Salter to Mr. A. M. Fleming-. Jean Walter to Mr. A. D. McDonald. Births.—To Mrs. C. Hendy (Inga Dowsett)—a son To Mrs. L. J. Parker (Letty Madden) —a son. To Dr. and Mrs. Mathewman (Elma Taylor)—a son. Engagements.—Lorna Pardey to Mr. C. Jones. Mary McLennan to Mr. A. Ne-wall.

PARENTS' AND FRIENDS' ASSOCIATION. The Parents' and Friends' Association are gratified to be able to report a' mpst successful year. The Annual Meeting was held at Morongo in May, and it was decided to raise the sum of i100 per year for three years, this amount to be used for Scholarships and Bursaries. It was with sincere regret that the committee received the resignation of Mrs. H. B. Simson, as President. We are hopeful that Mrs. Simson's health will so improve that our association will continue to receive her very valuable help. Mr. J. M. Badger was elected to the position vacated by Mrs. Simson, and under his leadership several most successful functions have been held. A most enjoyable and highly instructive lecture was given in St. David's Hall by Dr. Trembath, on July 7th. Two bridge evenings were held in the Davidson Hall, and an excellent concert was arranged by the members of the Geelong College Old Boys' Choir. This was held in the Morrison Hall, on September 26th, and a Garden Fete was held at Morongo on November 12th. We are deeply appreciative of the very generous response of all parents and friends of the school, and we are hoping for their continued practical interest in our plans for the coming year.

THE LUCERNIAN. given each year by Mr. Filmer, for Dux of the Intermediate Form. Another great friend of the school, Mrs. George Venters, has died this year ; we deeply sympathise with those who mourn her loss. A sum of £500 has been left by her to the school council to be used for scholarship purposes, so that the "Margaret Venters Scholarship" will perpetuate the memory of one who was one of the earliest supporters of the school. We also extend our deepest sympathy to Miss Booth, Enid Wilson, Jean Rowe, Jessie McAdam, Ailsa Storrer, Mollie Paterson and Marjorie Craig, who have all suffered bereavement this year.

IN MEMORIAM. The news of the death of Olive Filmer was a terrible shock to all who had known her and loved her for her gentle and unselfish nature, and constant cheerThe deepest sympathy is felt fulness. for her parents who have suffered such a great loss. • The photograph of Olive, which now hangs in the Assembly Room will help to perpetuate her memory in the thoughts of those at school, and will be a tangible reminder of one who was so popular and is now so sadly missed. An additional remembrance of her will be the prize,

:0:

Examination Successes. Intermediate Certificate :— J. Adam—English, History, Geography. D. Anderson—English, History, Geography, Algebra, Music, Physiology, Drawing. M. Bell—English, History, Geography, Arithmetic, French, Physiology, Botany. J. Borwick—English, Geography, Arithmetic, Algebra, French, Botany, Drawing. V. Curry—Geography, Botany. Geography, Algebra, L. Gill—English, French, Physiology, Botany. M. Graham—English, History, Geography, Arithmetic, Botany, Music. F. Levy—English, History, Domestic Science M. Lucas—English, History, Geography, Arithmetic, French, Domestic Science. GeoHistory, H. McCulloch—English, graphy, Algebra, French, Physiology, Botany. M. McDowall—English, Geography, Arithmethic, Algebra, French, Drawing. R. McLean—English, History, Geography, Physiology, Domestic Science. K. Thorburn—English, Arithmetic, Algebra, French, Domestic Science. N. Thorburn—English, History, Geography, Arithmetic, Drawing, Domestic Science. Leaving Certificate—Pass :— H. Ferguson—English, E. History. M. Harding—English, Music (Credit), French (Inter.)

S. Mann—E.. History, Geography, French, Botany, Economics. L. Mathews—English, Geography, French, Drawing. I. McLean—English, Geography, French. M. Stanistreet—English, E. History, Drawing. B. Stewart—Economics, Music (Credit), Latin, Algebra (Inter.), English. L. Tilley—English, French, Economics. Honours :— K. Badger—English, 1st Class; E. History, 2nd Class; French, 2nd Class; Botany, 2nd Class; Latin (Inter.) W. Burrage—English, 2nd Class; E. History, 2nd Class; Botany, 2nd Class; Physiology, 3rd Class; Economics (pass). R. Dwyer—English, 3rd Class; E. History and Economics, pass. E. Hicks—English, pass; French, pass. L. Hill—Botany, 3rd Class; Physiology, pass; Physics, inter; pass Economics. N. Redpath--E. History, 3rd Class; French, pass. E. Wilson—English, 2nd Class; E. History, 1st Class; Geography, pass; Economics, pass. University Successes :— D. Adams—Shakespeare Prize. M. Cherry—B.A.

THE LUCERNIAN.

SALVETE Form V.— W. May M. Northey Form Va— J. Bennie J. Bond A. Carnell J. Carson G. Drayton M. Farrell A. Heard I. Parker Form IV.— G. Blakiston M. Drayton R. Hagger M. Hunt G. Ives J. Mossop V. Robley B. Winstanley Form IVa— M. Brownhill R. Connery M. Chapman N. Field B. Fraser G. Hagger D. Jacobs M. Long M. MacKinlay J. McKenzie H. Sutcliffe Form III.— N. Cameron A. Robley P. Robson L. Sharp Kindergarten— M. Barber J. Bull H. Wallace

VALETE Form VI— E. Wilson— Head Prefect. W. Burrage B. Dwyer ProHicks, Vice bationer, House - Captain, Basket ball VII.

N. Redpath, Probationer, Vice House - Captain, Basket ball VII. B. Stewart I. Fraser M. Harding, HouseCaptain, Prefect. I. McLean, Probationer. M. Stanistreet, Base ball IX. Form V M. Davies D. Galbraith L. Gill, House Captain, Tennis IV., IX., Baseball Running Champion, Vice SportsCaptain. M. Graham L. Hiddleston, Baseball IX. M. Lucas L. Madden, School Swimming Champion. Baseball IX. M. Michell R. McLean J. Roberts C. Roebuck, Baseball IX. A. Storrer K. Thorburn N. Thorburn Form Va— N. Craddock M. Cassidy J. McAdam E. McCallum, Tennis IV., Baseball IX. M. McDonald J. McInnes J. McKellar Form IV L. Freeman Form IVa— N. Holzgrefe For mIlla— J. Holzgrefe Form III I. Holzgrefe

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Prize Essay. ISLANDS. There is some charm of remoteness and mystery surrounding islands which has always attracted the imagination of writers. One of the simplest ways in which a novelist can create interesting situations is by transporting his characters to some deserted spot set in the midst of the wide, rolling ocean. Dozens of such stories come thronging to the memory, among them being that of Robinson Crusoe and his lonely sojourn on a small tropical island after the shipwreck of which he was the only survivor, and Barrie's "The Admirable Crichton" in which an aristocratic family receives an entirely new conception of life through being cast up on another such island to live on an equal footing with the servants whom they had formerly regarded as inferior beings. Islands, being so cut off from the rest of the world, are the fittest places for the carrying-on of deep and subtle intrigues. The story of Stevenson's buccaneers would have lost much of its interest had the treasure been buried on the mainland. So too would the story of the immense wealth hidden in the caves of Monte Cristo. The enchanted island of Shakespeare's "Tempest," with its supernatural inhabitants is a counterpart of those in Greek mythology. The Greeks' familiarity with the countless beautiful islands that surround the shores of the Mediterranean may account for the fact that a great many of their deities and spirits Nvere supposed to work their spells in isolation there. The deadly sirens dwelt on an isle with golden sands and bright flowers such as are still seen to-day- in the Aegean Sea, and Capri, "The Amethyst Island" which so fascinated Thackeray, is thought to be the site of Circe's home.

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It is interesting to note that the paradise of all ancient mythologies was situated on an island. That of the Celts was Avalon, a green island far out in the west, to which the souls of heroes such as Arthur departed after death. The paradise of the Greeks was Elysium in the Islands of the Blest, like Avalon, situated west of the setting sun. The continental islands of history have usually been the cradles of great commercial nations. The sea acts as a protection against the enmity of other nations, and forms a highway for th'e adventurous youth of the country. Commerce and civilisation flourished in - the Greek islands before they reached the mainland, and in modern times the greatest sea-faring nations are those such as England and Japan, which are washed on every side by waves. Shakespeare describes England as a "Precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall. Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands."

If England is a country of sailors it may well be said of the other North Atlantic islands that they Of all of breed nations of fishermen. these the most interesting is undobutedly Iceland, "the island of ice and fire." This was colonised by the old Vikings, and the people still show the stern courage and rough, simple ways of their ancestors. The lives of the people are mainly occupied with farming, grazing, and fishing, but the intellectual standard is high, and the literature of old sea sagas is a notable one. Farther south in the Atlantic lie the teeming tropical islands of the West Indies, overgrown with luxuriant vegetation, and able to support a large populaIt was here that the tion with plenty. most famous mariners of England and Spain were drawn in the days of the Armada. The appeal of white sands and palm trees was much stronger to the

adventurous youth than all the ties of home, and as nearly all England's great Admirals received their early sea-training there, the Indies have been called "The cradle of the deep." In modern times the famous sugar plantations, to which religious martyrs were formerly sent, are mainly worked by the descendants of negro slaves. Milton must have been thinking of the Mediterranean coast when he wrote of "Sea-girt isles, That, like to rich and various gems, inlay The unadorned bosom of the deep."

The charm of Sicily, the Balearics, Corfu and Capri, bathed in almost perpetual sun-shine, and clothed with the vine and olive, has made them favourite holiday grounds with wealthy Europeans. Of a wider beauty is Corsica, whose narrow compass contains such abundpce of game that it is a paradise for sportsmen. Further to the east of the Mediterranean the sight of the little fishing boats and the vessels of the coral seekers floating on a mirror-like sea, testifies to the nature of the lives of these island dwellers. No greater contrast could be imagined than that between the islands of the South Seas and those of the Antarctic. The Pacific bears numerous diverse types of native races most of which are so bounteously supplied by nature with all the necessities of life that work is unEuropean capitalists of late necessary. years have made fortunes from the copra, timber, and pearls, which are so abundant there. The islands farther south are lonely outposts of civilisation, mainly used as whaling stations, with their vast rookeries of gannets, penguins, albatrosses, and other sea birds of the colder climes. These islands do not provide a happy hunting ground for romantic novelists, like such as Tahiti, but nevertheless, as all Antarctic explorers testify, they have a rare charm of their own.

T HE

LUCERNIAN.

It is safe to say that in most instances the life on an island is simpler and morel close to nature than that on the main-. land. Isolation has taught the inhabitants a feeling of self-sufficiency, and their

security has given them a feeling of independence of any but their immediate neighbours. —KATHLEEN BADGER.

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Some Events of the Year. LEAGUE OF NATIONS' SCHOOLS' DAY. It was a happy idea on the part of the powers that be in the Victorian Branch of the League of Nations Union to inaugurate a Schools' Day. Each school belonging to the Union, represented a country belonging to the League—Peru, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Czecho-Slovakia, and Australia were represented by various Melbourne schools, while Morongo represented China. "Morongo represented China." To the uninitiated those three words sound fairly simple in their implication, but in reality they were far otherwise. A surprisingly comprehensive array of exhibits were gathered together—posters depicting Chinese scenes and people, maps, a model of a Chinese farm-house, and rice field, a Chinese tea house (complete with furniture), all having been executed by the girls, while some t ngaging little wooden models, showing all kinds of Chinese activity, from ploughingwith oxen, and grinding corn with a weight on a see-saw, to simple and effective devices for long and painful execution were obtained. Two Chinese dolls—a pale and supercilious mandarin. and a chubby, beady-eyed baby—were exhibited, together with many examples of Chinese craftsmanship. From this collection, though it certainly sounds somewhat miscellaneous, several impressions were gleaned—one of the delicate and artistic workmanship of everything that comes from a Chinese hand-crafts man, another of their age-

long knowledge of art and philosophy, and their lack of it in the science of agriculture, and finally another of the striking individuality of the race as a whole. Of the space allotted to Morongo, The this exhibit occupied one section. other section was taken up by some beautiful specimens of Chinese art lent to the school by Mr. Looey Pang and Mr. Chung. A Chinese rug lay on the floor, attracting the eye with its exquisite) shade •of deep blue. In one corner stood a carved ebony chair ; in the centre an octagonal brass table on a curved stand. In the other corner burnt a score of joss-sticks, sending out an indescribable fragrance compounded of pine and cinnamon. On the floor a great brass Buddha sat and contemplated the Infinite with hands folded and legs crossed. The walls were decorated with some beautiful examples of Chinese art—two testimonials with embroidered edges, and a wonderful picture of the Forbidden City carved most delicately and minutely in cork, so that every twig and leaf stood out from its fellow. Hanging beneath it was an object which the Western nations regard as only fit for a mundane covering of leather or dark cloth, but which clever Chinese fingers embroidered with a riot of flowers, birds and animals—a spectacle-case, hung with cord and tassel. Particularly beautiful also were some wall paintings, not only on account of their exquisite pale colours and decisive economy of line, but also on account of their great expressiveness. The sage

THE LUCERNIAN.

beamed on his pupil a glance of benignity and gentleness, undisguised by the unfamiliar cast of feature ; the Tartar chieftain in top-boots and caftan glared with the boldness and dignity of conscious power. In this section the paintings were hung, and the furniture arranged to give an harmonious effect. Mr. Looey Pang loaned many valuable and beautiful exhibits, for which he deserved thanks, also Mr. Chung for the loan of wall-paintings, and Mr. Binnion for advice and help he gave in choosing and arranging various exhibits ; and Mr. Frier, who lent (through Miss Lancaster) many small wooden models of great interest. Morongo's part in the evening's entertainment consisted of the singing of three Chinese songs. About fifteen girls, clad in black and orange garments, each ornamented with a Chinese dragon, sang (unaccompanied) the song of Ching Ming celebrating the return of spring with the willow sprigs growing and the orioles singing—and another, quaintly titled "Love's Lament in Mid-Autumn." These songs were accompanied by actions illustrative of the words, and performed in the Chinese manner with fans and bent Miss Gill and Mrs. Meadows palms. helped the girls. The whole performance, apart from its intrinsic interest, was most valuable in stimulating an interest in the great country represented, and heartiest congratulations were extended to Miss Paling and Miss Hoban, who, with unfailing energy and enthusiasm, directed and organised the exhibition, and the item given by Morongo. 0

CONCERTS, We are all exceedingly pleased that it was found possible to have Miss McDowell's concerts held at the school again this year. Miss McDowell has done a

wonderful work in stimulating the appreciation of and interest in music among the various schools which she has visited by bringing to them regularly, the very Hest music and most talented performers. Dr. Floyd was our first distinguished visitor. At the commencement of his very entertaining and instructive lecture, he announced his intention of trying to give us a better understanding of music by showing us how to listen with our brains as well as with our ears. Dr. Floyd gave us some insight into the methods of musical composition, and the way a composer works out his theme, by illustrating his remarks on the piano ; and during the course of his lecture, we examined the structure of an old Scottish hymn tune, "Drink to me only with thine eyes," and "Londonderry Air." Incidentally we heard a composition of Dr. Floyd's own on the Dandenong Ranges, by way of illustrating the phrase ..The Line of Beauty." Speaking of the power of music, he quoted the phrase, "Music begins where our poor words leave off." The second concert was made more interesting- by what we had learnt from Dr. Floyd. Miss Hunt was the leader of a string quartette, which gave us an hour of delightful music. The first two numbers were compositions of Haydn, who originated the string- quartet, and these were followed by Bethoven's quartet in C Minor. In conclusion, the visitors played three short numbers, "The Spirit of the Eighteenth Century," "Angel Gabriel," by modern composers, and a Gavotte of the Seventeenth Century. At the third concert, Miss Gertrude Healy, the violinist, played the first movement of the Brandenbury Concerto by Bach, several paraphrases by Fritz Hart of Bach's Choral Preludes, including the "Hymn to the Sacred Dead," and Brahm's "Waltz in Ab." The pianist, Mr. John Simons, played three of Bach's suites for the piano, and Rachmaninoff's difficult

THE LUCERNIAN. and impressive Prelude in Bb, which was much appreciated. Miss Oakleigh sang for us the aria "Gentle Zephyr's," and the songs "Little Seamstress," "Wind on the Hill," and the ever-popular "Twice Times." The concerts this year ended with a recital of English music, by Mr. Findley and Miss Darrick. Mr. Findley gave us. some old English dance music by Purcell, and some charming modern music including a descriptive piece entitled "Hampton Court." Miss Darrick sang some delightful songs, those most enjoyed being a group by Roger Quilter, entitled "The Sea." We look forward very much to a continuance of these concerts next year.

THE GEELONG OLD COLLEGIANS' CHOIR. The whole school and the Parents' and Friends' Association wishes to thank the members of the Geelong Old Collegians' Choir for the entertaining evening they gave us in second term in the Norman Morrison Memorial Hall. The singing of the choral items, particularly "The Rio Grande," "Kentucky Babe," and "Carry me back to old Virginny," was most appreciated, and we wish to thank the pianist, Mr. England, and the conductor, Mr. Sampson, for his share in the evening's entertainment. As well as the choral songs, solos were sung by Miss Alma Condy and by Mr. Lester, all of which were thoroughly enjoyed, particularly "Route Marchin' " and the "Smuggler's Song." A most impressive display of juggling was given during the evening, and also several orchestral items, and violin solos, all of which contributed to a delightful evening.

SHAKESPEARE DAY. The annual Shakespeare Day was held this year in April. The weather was not particularly kind, but that did not in any way damp the enthusiasm of the girls or the parents and friends, who came to witness our performance. To the casual eye, the costumes worn by the girls, appeared no doubt, to be truly Elizabethan, so did the stage, at least, the Oriental tapestry, the greenery, and the flowers blended beautifully into a convenient setting for Roman tragedies, Elizabethan love-affairs, and Italian intrigues. That is, of course, to the casual eye. To the eye of One Who Knows, the oriental tapestry could be nothing but the prefect's carpet, torn up by rude hands when those worthies' backs were turned. Crime, however, has its punishment, and the person who abducted the carpet spent three weary hours tacking it to the wall, and came away with a badly damaged thumb and a black mood. The greenery and the flowers also have their history—the bare hot house, the leafless branches of certain trees, the string- less string-bag and an empty drawing-pin box tell a sad and silent tale. The draperies adorning the youthful actresses had a distinctly Elizabethan air, but considered singly their origin was truly modern, and somewhat doubtful, in fact very doubtful, if not criminal. To assist in the dressing of a Shakesperian character, a mistress must not only be artistic—she must be inventive, ingenious and rapid. This is the. usual procedure :-A mistress takes a sheet, wraps it rapidly round the actress, flings a tablecloth over that, pins the lot together with a safetypin, and behold, a Roman conqueror

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The satisfaction felt by the wearers of .and her company, of the Greek tragedy, the costumes, is not, however, ex- the "Medea" of Euripides, at the King's perienced by the audience. In fact, some Theatre, Melbourne. members received several shocks the To see this performance was an exagonising moments experienced by a perience. spectator when she discovers that it is The curtain rises on a setting as coldly her evening cloak that is trailing in the classical as the play itself, where the dust in the wake of a Roman senator, and white pillars of a Greek portal are thrown the outraged feelings of another as she into severe relief against a light of dim sits in baleful silence glaring at the object green. It is Medea's - house, and on the presented by her best beret, perched steps, seated in classical pose, is -the aged drunkenly on the head of a nervous nurse of Medea's Children, who tells the -courtier, can be well understood. sad wild tale of Medea's life, the bold The programme consisted of several enchantress Who sacrifices home, family, scenes acted by the girls, from the par- everything, for the love of Jason, the ticular plays which they were studying. brave adventurer. of the classics. These The two Intermediate forms ("A" and two have fled to Corinth, -and there Jason "B") gave scenes from "The Tempest," accepts the hand of the daughter of the mainly those where Ferdinand woos king of Cornith. Miranda, and where Caliban is discovered The play is concerned with the agony by Stephano and Trinculo, and later and revenge of the wild and passionate joined their conspiracy. Form VI. Honours gave the scene Medea—Medea the suffering, the cruel, where the wife and mother of Coriolanus the working of whose tortured will beg him to spare Rome. Considering the brings ' tragedy upon Jason and upon the ' house. Dame Sybil Thorndike youth of the performers, this scene was Kings There attains supreme heights in tragic acting very convincing and dignified. was also a scene given from "Pericles in her portraying of - the vengeful Medea, Prince of Tyre," in which the learned in her wild storms of anger, of grief and Medea, in her red robes, arms Cerimon restores Thaisa, the wife of rage. Pericles to life ; and finally, Form Va outflung before the white columns of the gave the last scene from "As You Like house in Corinth, charged with a sullen It," in which Rosalind announces her hatred, is a figure of great drama, shaken All the forms are to be con- by truly elemental forces that blow identity. T atulated on the result of their work, gustly about her in the destined end. both in learning the parts, and in their The chorus, clad in blue robes, cries its commentary, solemnly chanting, someacting on the day. The thanks of the school are due to times to the tempestuous beating of a Miss Nicholson, whose work in producing drum as the . play surges to emotional the scenes, dressing- the girls and en- 'heights, and then quietly and softly again couraging the actresses, played such an as the •drama flows, on. important part in making Shakespeare The grief-wracked mind of Medea, Day the success it was. torn between hatred of her husband and :o: love for 'her children, is finally -obsessed "MEDEA." with her desire for revenge, and inevitDuring second tern] a number of girls ably comes the murder, by Medea, of the from the senior school were present at a king and his •daughter, and the death of performance by Dame Sybil Thorndike her two .children, till in the final scene

THE LUCERNIAN. Medea, avenged and triumphant, appears above the house, while Jason, his life in ruins, stands before the door. : :

YALLOURN. One of the most thrilling days of the whole year was that in _first term, when nearly the whole school went in a body to view the State Electricity Works and the Briquetting Factory at Yallourn. Our long, journey commenced at eight o'clock, and our train went straight through to Morwell without a stop, except for lunch Owing to the excellent at Warragul. organisation of the Government Tourist Bureau, the whole day went without a The journey itself was single hitch. very interesting as the train rushed through the forests and. pleasant farm lands of Gippsland. At Yallourn we were first of all shown over the briquetting plant, where literally raw brown coal goes in one end and In briquettes come. out at the other. this portion of the works, the coal is pulverised, its moisture content removed in great dehydrators, and the dust then compressed into briquettes and stamped with H or I., according as to whether they are for household or industrial use. When the briquettes leave the presses, they are joined. to. one another,. but as the pressure on them is. released they begin to crack apart as they go along the conveyers, and finally, at a turn in the conveyer, they come apart and are shot. straight into the railway trucks. After this we viewed the model town of Yallourn, where all. the houses and. shops are owned by the Commission. The town was. beautifully laid out, the streets radiating from the shopping centre, and there being a recreation ground close to the churches and. the shopping centre. Everything looked beautifully fresh and clean, in spite of the fact that there was so much coal-dust about.

Next we visited the open cut which was It was almost a veritable eye-opener. impossible to believe that the great black gash in the earth was solid brown coal. We watched with interest the coal dredge working, and the method of bringing the coal up out of the cut to the power house, and to the trucks going to the Briquetting Factory. Last of all we were shown the great turbo generators in the Power House, and the wonderfully intricate system of switches which control the supply of electricity to all the parts of Victoria served by the Commission. At about six o'clock we departed after this very interesting tour of inspection, all thoroughly impressed with what we had seen, and all a little the worse for coal-dust. We arrived in Geelong at about nine o'clock, and though we felt we had had a long day, it had been one} full of interest and enjoyment from start to finish. :0:

ANNUAL CHURCH SERVICE. On the evening of. the 23rd of October, the annual church service was held at St. David's Church. There was a large attendance of Old Collegians, members of the school council and friends, and with members of the church, the congregation was a large one. The present pupils took the leading part in the service, which was opened with the singing of an introit by the girls. The XIIIth Chapter of the 1st Corinthians was read by the girls, who also sang the anthem, "The Way, the Truth, the Life." The school hymn was sung by both past and present pupils, and a solo "0 Rest in the Lord" was sung by Miss Ivy Potter, an. Old Collegian.

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The congregation joined in the singing of the other hymns. The Rev. Alex. Simms was the preacher. He took his text from Ephesians, Chapter V., Verse XVI. : "Redeeming the time." He interpreted the text as buying up the opportunity. He referred to the old Persian proverb of the three things which never return, the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity. He said that our testing was determined by the use we made of critical times like the present. Speaking to the girls he said' that their present time was priceless,, for they are laying the foundation of their future lives. The service was concluded by the singing of a vesper hymn by the girls, and the pronouncing of the Benediction by the Rev. A. Simms. :0:

THE GARDEN FETE AND HOBBIES DAY. This year, in third term, a very successful fete was held by the Parents' and Friends' Association in the Morongo garden. All kinds of competitions were held on the lawns, putting, bowling, croquet and bull-board. The slope of the lawn prevented, fortunately, those who had had previous experience in the abovementioned games from gaining any undue advantage over those who had not. There were also various stalls :—Sweets, where Mrs. Blakiston and Mrs. Mathews were in charge ; ice-cream, in charge of Gwen Madden, Pauline Marchant and Rosaleen Price ; embroidery, over which Mrs. Badger presided ; and cakes, which Mrs. Simson, Mrs. Elvins and Mrs. G. F. Walter dispensed. We most heartily congratulate them and the "fathers" who ran the competitions on their achieve-

ments. In addition to these, various girls toured the grounds inviting the onlookers to guess lengths of yarn and the number of peas in a bottle. When everything was in full swing, including Miss Pratt's wireless broadcasting the Test Cricket, the front laws were truly festive. After afternoon tea, which was served in the dining-room, the girls contributed their share of the afternoon's entertainment. The Junior Dancing Class, dressed in Kate Greenaway costume, gave two dances, and there were several drill items—marching, Swedish drill, and two dances -the Irish Jig and the Minuet. After these were over, there was a concert in the Assembly Hall. "Caller Herrin' " was sung by some of the juniors, dressed as fisher-maidens, and "Tulip time in Holland," by some of the seniors, also appropriately garbed. Jean Gordon gave a piano solo, and Miss Chenery's Kindergarteners gave a song, an orchestral item, and a short play "St. George and the Dragon." On exhibition all the afternoon in the Science Room, was a collection of work done by the school during the year in drawing, arts and crafts, sewing, knitting, embroidery and painting. The Chinese posters, displayed on one of the walls, were greatly admired, as were also the colourful exhibits of the cooking classes. Upstairs was the doll's house set picturesquely in a garden in the sandBoth house and garden testified tray. to the interest and ingenuity shown by the children who made them. The whole display showed that a great many girls in the school use their spare time to the greatest advantage in making useful and beautiful things. In conclusion, we may congratulate the parents on a most successful afternoon financially, for X45 was raised towards the Scholarship Fund.

T H E LUCERNIAN.

Visits and Visitors. CAPTAIN BERTRAM'S VISIT. On Tuesday, October 11th, the school was greatly honoured by a visi t from Captain Hans Bertram, the distinguished German aviator. He was accompanied by the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor and Mrs. Oswald Hearne, and several friends of the school, and members of the School Council. Mr. Hearne introduced our visitor, while Miss Pratt and Mr. McPhillimy joined in welcoming him to the school on behalf of the girls and the council. The School Chaplain, the Rev. A. Sims, also extended him a hearty. welcome. Captain Bertram spoke to us in his attractive and very well chosen English, and told us a little, it seemed to us far too little, about his adventures. He stressed the kindness, obedience and faithfulness of the Australian aborigines to whom he owed his life, and could not speak highly enough of the mission station, whose influence had so softened and humanised their wild natures. Afterwards the whole school rushed, en masse, to the front of the school, to get at closer view of this "real, live" hero, and here! Captain Bertram anew gained everyone's sympathy and admiration by allowing' his photograph to be taken surrounded by a seething mass of excited maidens. Several photographs were taken of him in this rather embarassing situation, Captain Bertram himself submitting with 11-pgreatest good nature. One of the photographs appeared next morning, on the front page of "The Sun," to the great delight of all concerned. A very impromptu guard of honour was formed by the girls along the drive, down which Captain Bertram's car had to pass. After his departure the flutter in the dovecote abated somewhat, only to be renewed when Capain Bertram, at half-

past two that afternoon, flew over the school several times and waved, on his way back to Melbourne. Behind all the effervescence of our enthusiasm, there was felt throughout the school, not only the attraction of a charming and good-natured personality but also a very sincere respect for a man who had faced a protracted period of suffering and danger with fortitude, and who was full of overflowing gratitude for his deliverance. As a mark of our appreciation, a cheque of five guineas was sent to Captain Bertram for Australian Missions. :0:

THE VISIT OF SENATOR LAWSON. It was with keen anticipation that the girls awaited the visit of the President of the School, Senator Lawson, on March Many of the younger girls had 14th. never seen him, as he had often been prevented by parliamentary duties from being present at school functions, although he had never ceased to keep in close touch with the school, and take a keen interest in all its activities. This was his first official visit since the opening of the school building in 1927. Fortunately it was a delightful autumn day with bright sunshine, and the surroundings of the school looked particularly fresh and green after the recent rains. In celebration of the Senator's visit the dramatic class had prepared for his entertainment a scene from "Love's Labour Lost." The Kindergarten presented some action songs under the direction of Miss Chenerv, and the senior singing class gave three songs from -The Tempest," "Come unto these Yelloy\ Sands,- - Where the bee sucks," and "Full Fathom Five."

THE LUCERNIAN.

At the close of this short display Mrs. Matthew then sang a hymn, Senator Lawson addressed the pupils. "jesu, Fount of Every Blessing," in He congratulated them on their work, Korean. This item was greatly appreand exhorted all the girls to do their ciated. utmost in both work and sport, and give The Rev. Wilson Macauley, of Trinity of their best to the school. He then we.nt Church, Camberwell, and organising on to urge that they should always be manager for Foreign Missions then their natural selves, without affectation or addressed the school. In the course of a pretence, and so grow up into charming delightful and humorous speech, he and useful women. endorsed what Mr. Matthew had said When Senator Lawson left the about language, and told us that if we Assembly Hall, he was immediately sur- had Mr. Matthew's French, and his rounded by an excited crowd of girls, Scotch, we could make ourselves undermany of them seeking autographs. His stood anywhere. request to Miss Pratt that she should Then he told of a great valley he had allow school to resume later the next day in honour of his visit, was a very popular visited at Stornoway, in the far-off island of Skye, this valley had once been one with everybody. filled by a great river, a thousand miles Afternoon tea was served in the hall long, now buried under the sea. He said and reception room at the house, both of that it would be a fine thing if the boyt which were beautifully decorated with and girls of Australia could leave behind Autumn flowers and foliage. Miss Pratt, a great enduring mark for the world to as hostess, welcomed Senator Lawson, wonder at, just as that great river had. members of the School Council and their wives, the staff and Mr. and Mrs. Mephan Accompanying the visitors was Miss Ferguson, parents of the Head Prefect Gillespie, one of the leaders of the Presbyterian Girls' Fellowship Moveas her guests. After a short meeting with the Council, ment. Senator Lawson was shown round the On Tuesday, June 28th, the Rev. school, house and grounds, thus terminat- Andrew Barber, of the Australian Inland ing a visit, of which all connected with{ Mission, paid a visit to the school. In the school will have many pleasant his address he told of the patrol bystem of the mission, and its great fight against recollections. the loneliness and dread of sickness of the interior. He explained its really wonderful SOME VISITS OF INTEREST. system of wireless communication by On 6th \ug-ust, Morongo was delighted which a person can carry on a conto welcome several visitors, introduced versation \\ ith a friend a thousand miles by Mr. Alston. The Rev. H. C. Matthew, away. One incident which particularly secretary for Foreign Missions, addressed appealed to us was Mr. Barber's exthe girls on the subject of the close links planation of how he conducted Sunday binding all nations at the present time, School services, sitting on the step of his and the need for the study of languages car, hundreds of miles from the children to break the barriers which still cause he was teaching. The work of the flying misunderstandings to arise between doctor and of the gallant nurses in charge nations. of the nursing homes also filled us with

THE LUCERNIAN. admiration, and we realised huw little we know about our own country. This address was rich in humour, Mr. Barber telling us many amusing anecdotes about the natives with whom he had been so much in contact. Another interesting visitor was the Rev. Dr. John Walker, of St. James Cathedral, Canberra. Dr. Walker, as a churchman, has had a most distinguished career, and was largely instrumental in raising means which enabled the Presbyterian Cathedral at Canberra to be constructed. Dr. Walker was introduced by Mr. Neilson, the secretary of the School Council, and welcomed by Miss Pratt. He thanked us for his welcome with characteristic humour, and then in more serious vein went on to remind us that as a church school we were part and parcel of the great Presbyterian Church, and must build up our traditions accordingly. Dr. Walker concluded his address with one of his famous Scottish stories in the vernacular. On November 14th, Miss Melchior, a teacher from Denmark, paid a visit to the school during lesson-time; and showed a great interest in its activities, particularly in the hobbies. She was especially interested in the display of poker-work and stained wood done by the arts and crafts class. We hope that Miss Melchior carries back with her to Denmark a pleasant impression of Australian schools, ours' amongst them, as well as our good wishes. :o: THE BASKETBALL MATCHES WITH THE SACRED HEART CONVENT. On the 24th July, almost all the school was present at S.H.C. to witness the match between the two schools. This was very even and exciting, and the final score resulted in a victory for Morongo by two goals. The welcome which our hostesses gave us was wonderful. After the match we

were shown all over the buildings. What we admired most was the lovely chapel with its stained glass windows, statues and polished woodwork, while the view from the balcony rivals even that from the upper class-rooms and dormitories of Morongo. By the time the teams had recovered, the rest of us were having a After lovely afternoon tea in the hall. this we danced and made a tour of the grounds. As everyone had made friends we were most reluctant to leave, and in fact we did not get back to school till dark. About a month later, on the 13th of August, the Convent girls played a return match on our court. We were very pleased to renew our friendships, and by the time the match had begun everyone had found their companions of the former match. The weather was not so good this time, the last two quarters being played in a fine rain, which drove the spectators into the upstairs corridors. The team-work of the Convent girls was very They led all along, and finally good. defeated us by five goals. After afternoon tea in the hall we showed our visitors round, and they were as greatly charmed with our view as we had been with theirs. The museum and domestic arts rooms proved very interesting to our visitors. When the rain set in properly we all crowded into the Common Room, and gave an impromptu concert, recitations, dances, songs and jazz being enjoyed by all the audience. We were very sorry when they had to leave, and we are all looking forward to matches with S.H.C. next year.

•0• SHELL CINEMA DISPLAY. On Wednesday, 16th July, a great many of the pupils of Morongo and their parents were shown a most interesting film by Mr. Brearley, the advertising

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agent of the Shell Oil Company. The film VISIT TO THE SHELL OIL dealt with the production of oil from its COMPANY'S DEPOT. formation beneath the earth's surface as decomposing plankton chemically On Tuesday, August 9th, a few of the changed by heat and pressure, to its girls went down to Newport to visit the handling as the refined and finished provast depot of the Shell Oil Company. We duct at Gore Bay, Sydney. The oilfields were cordially welcomed, and after rewhich were shown in the process of moving our hats, sat for perhaps an hour development, were those of North taking notes on the origin of oil. The idea Borneo, and every aspect from the prosof the visit was to give us material with pecting, the sinking of the bore, the roadwhich to write an essay, the prize being making, the type of labour employed, to a scholarship. It was intended that we the beautiful residential quarters of the should also see a moving picture illustratEuropean staff, and the native coming- the origin of oil, and the various pounds, was treated with a thoroughness methods for obtaining and transporting that left no room for misunderstanding: it. But this was impossible for a few To enable one to estimate the hugeness hours, as the moving picture machine of the enterprise, the audience were told broke down. We were therefore shown that the annual cost of medical services over the grounds straight away. alone to the personnel of the company At first they seemed rather terrifying was over £80,000, while the wages list in the Eastern fields alone totalled in their hugeness and complexity. Even the boxes and tins are made on £3,000,000. The section next dealt with was oil transport, and the audience were the premises, and we found their manushown pictures of two large tankers and facture extremely interesting. the method of unloading by flexible pipe The Shell Company's private jetty was lines, at Gore Bay. At Gore Bay the oil From, this jetty the It is placed in a still under pointed out to us. is refined. which a fire is kindled ; from there it oil from the tankers is conveyed by pipes passes the dephlegmator, the condenser, to enormous storage tanks. _ We were and finally to the tail-box, where the very interested in the different methods various products of the crude oil i.e., employed for minimising the risk of fire motor spirit, kerosene, diesel oil, etc., are in these huge tanks, and climbed on top sorted out. Further processes of refine- of one to look at the specially constructed ment are necessary before the finished roof. product is obtained. This is done in vats The mixing and blending of the sundry or agitators, where compressed air is products of petroleum is carried on at driven through oil and sulphuric acid. Newport. The next film was a gazette, showing amongst other things the Broome pearlThe company has taken many prefishing industry, Sydney Harbour Bridge, cautions against fire—fire alarms are and Melbourne traffic distorted by slow given every now and then to see that and quick motion most amusingly. every man knows his duty in an A most entertaining evening was spent emergency ; there is a special chemical and Mr. Brearley and the Shell Oil Com- fire extinguisher ; all lights are kept in pany, Mr. Badger and Mr. Storrer, are gas-tight cases, the men in some of the most heartily thanked for arranging the departments have to wear rubber shoes ; no matches are allowed on the premises. entertainment.

THE LUCERNIAN. After being shown over the works, we came back to the recreation room, where we watched the picture dealing with petroleum.

After this, followed the most enjoyable part of the afternoon. We were given a most delightful afternoon tea, which was thoroughly appreciated by all. •o:

Great Days and jolly Days. IF—FOR BOARDERS. If you can get your morning tea, when all around you Are grabbing theirs and spilling it on you; If you can dodge detentions flying round you, And can steer clear of history lines to do; If you can be the last girl at the window, When choice snowballs are selling three by three, And buy the last one 'ere your turn has come, dear, A very happy boarder you will be. If you can learn your poems very quickly, And multiply quite well by b2a, And learn to say with quite a proper accent, II fait beautemps! Oui': Nestcepas? S'il vous plait! You will not only charm your own form mistress, But all your teachers dear at P.G.C., And you will bring renown unto the boarders So, a very happy boarder you will be. If you can carry chairs without a murmur, If a morning hymn obligingly you'll play, You'll be the darling of our toil worn prefects, And you will never be much in their way; If you can play a dashing game of tennis, If at base and basketball you're just au fait, You'll win respect from all the little boarders, And " bring credit to your House," you'll hear them say. But, if you're not much good at playing tennis, And if at studies you can never shine, If by "sleeping in" you cannot get your shoes clean, And when the bell goes you are not in line, If you are always being struck with stage fright, And cannot make a speech for minutes, three, You will never be a happy little boarder, And a sad time you will have at P.G.C. J.A. ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY. The midnight star shone brightly, the moon hung low to the sea, And down the shadowy staircase the boarders crept stealthilee;

For the wicked Morongo boarders were having a midnight feast, Not a single sound was heard when the stairs their creakings ceased. But out of the brooding darkness, over the bannisters dim, A stern faced figure had spied them and their joy lost all its vim, And these naughty boarders realised that .it served them jolly well right For having a midnight supper in the middle of the night ! So never will these boarders leave a snug and cosy bed, But have their midnight suppers in the afternoon instead. J.A.M.S. AN OPTIMIST. "Here's the end of the second act, and everything has gone without a hitch !" (General consternation). There have been many startling announcements, many extraordinary and inexplicable statements made by hundreds of purblind optimists, but never could they have surpassed that one made by an apparently intelligent Morongo girl on the night of , August 25th, 1932. It was greeted by members of the cast, and those general factotums who invariably appear behind the scenes of school plays with open-mouthed amazement, derisive laughter or stony silence according to their several temperaments. Nevertheless that statement was made, and we believe it was echoed next morning in the papers, however, with this excuse, that the reporters, compositors, editors, etc., of our estimable dailies were not behind scenes tripping over diabolically contrived machinery (the thunder had a very sharp edge) and wire stays. Whereas our Optimist was when she let fall that astounding remark. Even if we overlooked the fact that parts of the scenery were dangerously insecure, that the all-important telephone had been left on the staff-room table approximately three miles away (and incidentally was remembered just in time during the first act, sought frantically to make its appearance quite uncon-

THE LUCERNIAN.

cerned during the second act), that a certain door was early incapacitated, and, notwithstanding the efforts of three burly marmalade workers tugging behind scenes at a piece of string, refused to close dramatically behind the disappearing maiden, that the "secret panel" could be plainly detected from the back of the hall, and was firmly believed to be a window, that the lights went out before anyone was ready, and practically the whole cast was groping in the dark for a candle wfth which members of the haunted house were to make a dramatic entrance, and that, in the process of locating it, someone tripped over the thunder, which gave an ominous growl (the audience said that only added to realism) and that one of the principals had never worn a tartan kilt before, and was therefore unfamiliar with its disconcerting habits; even, I say, if we overlooked all this, still that giirl should—well, should have known better than to flaunt their misfortunes in the faces of the harassed dramatis personae. H. McC. ANIMAL LIFE AT MORONGO.

At Morongo, the school on the hill, We have quite an interesting zoo, And I find it my duty to try To describe the exhibits to you. Now there's Timothy—watch of the school, Who will bark at a lamb or a calf; Though to mischief inclined as a rule, He generally raises a laugh. Then there's Micky, the rival of Tim, Who also desires/ to be seen; And the horses we ride after school, Which are brushed to a smooth, glossy sheen. There are fowls which supply us with eggs, We can hear them from morning till night, If they could, they'd run under our legs, And trip us, and give us a fright. There are cows which eat grass all dayt long, There are pigs which delight in their sties. There are birds with a beautiful song, Which flutter across the blue skies. So now you know just what there is, And that there's a farmyard here still, The Head does not only have girls At Morongo, the School on the hill.

G.W'.

BOARDERS WATCHED THE ECLIPSE. To the casual reader with any imagination the vision might arise of orderly groups of boarders gazing at an eclipse in a studious, but decidedly leisurely manner. Having realised this I will try to set before you what really happened, and then you may be able to comprehend the phrase in its fullest significance. Monday, 7th/ 4/ 32. The boarders returned from the swimming sports, some elated, others disappointed, but all sticky, damp and tired. After a hurried change, they rushed down stairs to tea. Many of them were too tired to eat, or too breathless to appreciate the meal, and the minute it was finished they were all rushed outside to the back drive armed with negatives and smoked glasses. The sun, to the naked eye, seemed to be perfectly normal, but to those with negatives, etc., a dark smudge was appearing at one edge. When this was noised abroad there was a general scuffle on the part of those who had no negatives towards those who had.

The sun was setting, and as there is a gentle slope up towards the Ballarat road, the boarders trudged valiantly up the hill carrying their sun-gazing utensils, determined to see all that was to be seen. The swift (or the strong) of their number secured a strategic position on a convenient heap ,of metal, while the less fortunate (or less strong) gazed under their elbows as the sun successively assumed the shapes of a badly drawn free-hand circle, a round of cheese with a bite out of it, and finally the delicate crescent of a new moon. At last the sun set behind the dark line of the Barrabools, showing at the last the bright tip of its crescent, then with a flick, vanished. It was the last day of first term and the boarders had spent it in tidying; flag racing and packing; they finally crept into bed hoping for a good night's rest. Alas ! poor disillusioned ones this was not to be. The moon rose and with it the howls of all the neighbouring dogs. This wakened the roosters, who, one and all crowed lustily before settling down again. The 'possum which has apparently mistaken Morongo for a sanctuary for all wild birds and animals, came from his hiding place and supervised by the approving moon started his gambolling and tap dancing up and down the iron roof. In time, however, some of this noise died down, a few sleepy boarders began to snore and the remainder to contemplate the joys of

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dreamland, when a voice rose from the cartway, "Girls ! Girls ! get up and look at the eclipse 1" With groans, a few thoughtful ones rushed to the end cubicle, for here the eclipse could be seen perfectly from the bed. This, the unhappy boarder sleeping there, realised as her rug and eiderdown were thrown round the shoulders of about six girls who The cold had come to roost on her bed. became more and more intense till even the vigilant and zealous were shivering, and the poor boarder on whom they paid this unexpected visit crept dejectedly into a cubicle on the west side where she found to her infinite joy a forgotten hot water bottle. Just as she was settling down happily, there, came a war-whoop, and the throng she had just left came with a rush of feet, and again settled on her like a flock of vultures, tearing from her, first the eiderdown, next the blankets, and finally the hot water bottle. Then she gave up, and watched the eclipse herself. But she has written to the Astronomer Royal or the Government Meteorologist to know when the next heavenly phemomena are to be staged, so that she may be prepared before hand. J.A. Do You Enjoy Basketball? Yes? Then Come and See. THE STAFF VERSUS PREFECTS. You never heard tell of the story? Well now I really must laugh, Never heard of the honour and glory, Of the Prefects versus the Staff? But maybe you're not very keen And don't know a ball from a bat? It's a game that is always so clean, Unless one's unusually fat. Pres' got to the court with their fears, A crestfallen lot were they, For the staff were good wishes and cheers, But none for the Prefects that day. The cry came from the day girls and boarders, Any price teachers we lay? Says Nancy, "Although they are roarers I'm barracking teachers to-day !" Three goals in three rounds, ah my sonney, Hard playing my lad, you can see, They were heated and did look so funny, In the interval looking for tea. The court was at sixes and sevens, The pace at the first had been fast, And luck seemed to drop from the heavens, When Staff won the hard match at last.

And if they have matches hereafter, And who is to say they will not? When the cheers and the shouting and laughter Proclaim that the battle grows hot. And the spectators harder are peering, Staff rush to the goal with a laugh, And you'll hear the great multitude cheering, For "The Prefects versus the Staff." And surely the Staff, who were sports, Will rise up again, and begin Fresh matches on far away courts, And p'raps they might let me slip in. There never could be any defects, 'Mongst Cherubs, and Seraphs, and things, To distinguish the Staff from Prefects, "Blue Halo, white body and wings." N.S. PLEASE QUOTE FREELY !

"And what does the great William (or the great Alfred) say?" A. A. Milne. The Debating Society— "Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in, Bear 't that the opposed may beware of thee." Elocution— Mind your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes. A Boarder on Waking— "Hark, hark, the dogs do bark; Hark, now I hear the strains of chanticleer." That After-hamper Feeling— "We split ! We split !" The Science-Room Sink— "Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blindworm's string, Lizard's legs, and howlet's wing." The Basketball team— "Our little systems have their day, They have their day and cease to be." Full Detention. Room— "Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy." The Bicycle Parade— "Oh what a fall was there, my countrymen, Then you and I, and all of us fell down! and Does the road wind uphill all the way? Yea, to the very end." J.A.

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Travelogues. WITH THE Y.A.L. TO PERTH in Perth, we were taken for a drive through Only three short weeks! And yet during the city, and the magnificent lofty King's PLrl: from which natural stage we looked them we enjoyed more outings and saw more cicp,,n upon the broad, smooth Swan below, of Australia than we would have thought the white sands near the water's edge, the possible in such a short time, besides gaining red roofs of the houses, and in the distance more new friends than we would have in as the Darling Ranges, faintly blue in the haze many months at home. of the summer afternoon; then on to Cottesloe It would be impossible for me to describe to surf and sun-bathe on the famous beach; everything which we saw and did. I can afterwards visiting the new university, beautimerely pass on some of the indelible im- ful and colourful as any palace of the, East, pressions which such a trip makes upon the and with the blue river for a background. One memory. of the most interesting features of the enormous hall in this place was the dark First and foremost comes the train journey. wooden ceiling with the roof carved and This itself must be one of the most remarkpainted in aboriginal designs. Among the able in the world. Not until one has travelled many other interesting places which we visited for two days and seen nothing from the was Mundarring Weir in the heart of the carriage window, but the same dry, endless beautifully wooded Darling Ranges. It is plain with scarcely any vegetation save the from here that the gold-fields draw their water salt-bush and a few other stunted shrubs, and Then to the valley of the vines in with no animal life save the ubiquitous rabbit, supply. the Upper Swan, one of the greatest show not till then does the fact of Australia's vastplaces of the West, and the wonderful Yanness and emptiness and the loneliness of its thep falls, which are the main attraction of great spaces fully impress itself upon you. You the National Park 34 miles from Perth. feel as you never felt before what suffering it must have cost our explorers when they set Adelaide, on the morning of our first day out to find what lay beyond their own little there, was a calm, dignified city with the peace of the Sabbath upon it, carved out of grey patch of ground, and struggled through stone and shaded by the tallest of green trees. country that had seen very few men since the The most notable event of our stay there was time of the Creation. In spite of its opennesS our visit to Government House, and reception and lack of variety this scenery has a peculiar by Lady Hore-Ruthven in the great reception anneal which can scarcely be accounted for. There is something irresistibly attractive room, truly vice-regal with its red velvet curabout these greyish-brown plains as about the tains, enormous crystal chandeliers, and raised greenest valleys and wooded hills. The few dais with two thrones upon it. Owing to the neople. who live at the little stations along the lack of any other furniture we were forced to line are mostly railwaymen and their families, sit in most unconventional manner on the floor. natives who annear to maintain a cornfortablo existence by nosing for photogranhs Everyone has agreed that the first tour was and selling boomerangs and spears to ardent even more successful than was expected, and sonvpnir bunters at rather exorbitant nrices. the greatest proof of this lies in the fact that Tliese little stations are practically "outposts those who have been once are all longing to go again. of f infinite." and one wonders what a life K.B. would 11.: like in which the only contact, with filo outside world was the passing of one train A.S.C.M. CAMP, JANUARY, 1932. 2 day and the occasional arrival of an aeronlanp. The most interesting town on the route The day we arrived, the Upper Beaconsfield This is trul,, Station took on quite an air of activity; the was rincleubtedlv Kalgoorlie_ wonder cities of the world. and porter even roused himself to walk across the ore of 4-^noihle witnesC of what seeming imnossibil- station and collect our tickets. itiPs can he achieved when the vision of a I must confess at first things did not look r.”^ont. TrInn is made 111•2(!t,i021, vor who would very exciting. The day was hot, the station was nv-rspoi; t o find niihlie hat and a. shady nark crammed with thirty-one suit cases, tennis " "-cull urlinSP very drinking water had to racquets and rugs. Everything was dusty, travel three hundred miles? and recent bush fires had made the country, side look dry and black. To cap' all, they only As an Pxaninle of what one can do in an sent one car from the house, and consequently erganisation like the Leegne. I may mention several of us, including myself, were left to that on the afternoon of the day we arrived

THE LUCERNIAN wait on the station, in the heat, by the suite cases for an hour or so, until the car returned. The other Morongo girls had gone in the first car, and I was left to meditate alone. However, I was soon carrying on a pleasant conversation with my fellow campers, though the flies and the heat somewhat cramped our style. In due course the car arrived, and we were borne away to "Runnymede," and tea ! was agreeably impressed with Runnymede, and the tea; it (Runnymede) was a big rambling house set amongst a number of pine trees, with several little bungalows built away from the house. Everyone made friends with everybody else in a surprisingly short time. When bed time came I found myself -illo.Lted My bed to a room with three other girls. was very small, and the legs looked dangerI was rather dubious about the ously frail. restful sleep that camp mother had recomI was just dozing off (in spite of mended. the bed), when I was awakened by a pleasant voice from the doorway, "Do you like toffee?" My surprised reply was lost in a gurgle 'as I received a large toffee ball in my mouth. My visitor inquired my name, told me hers, smiled sweetly and departed. Then I heard someone else coming, and this time I was presented with an apple. By twelve o'clock, I had quite a collection, including half a biscuit, a piece of chocolate and two cakes. The next night a few bright specimens decided to have a "rag." On their door hung a notice "Madame Rookya, Fortune Teller, anc Dream Interpreter. Please Apply Within." On entering, one was confronted by a ghastly-looking individual swathed in bath towels, from whose person a bilious green light issued. A supernatural voice predicted a horrible future for the victim, who enjoyed the joke thoroughly until she returned to her room and found her bed entirely wrecked by the accomplices of "Madame Rookya." In a short while the camp was in a turmoil. Girls roamed around with a mad lust in their eyes, and wrecked every bed in sight. Everybody enjoyed themselves that night, except the officers. During the day we were divided into houses, elected house captains, a sports committee, and an editorial committee. There were altogether five officers in charge of us, and one senior officer, whom everyone knew as Camp Mother.

One unpleasant habit the camp acquired, was that of suddenly demanding at meal times, items from various girls, such as limericks, and some unfortunates even, were forced to Our mornings were mainly sing and recite. taken up with sports, organised by the committee, in which there was fierce competition In the afternoons, we between the houses. either went for long walks, or indulged in treasure hunts or paper chases. The hilly country around Beaconsfield is rather beautiful, and our walks were very enjoyable. The evening free hour was generally Each house was to occupied by "stunts." entertain the camp by an organised performOur house did a 100 per cent. thriller ance. in a modern version of Red Riding Hood, in which Villians ran away with Heiresses, who were rescued by Heroes; the grandmother was She even entertained Bishops very modern. and possessed a French maid. One house did an excellent representation of the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede. The seven days of our happy camp, finally came to an end, however, and it was with heavy hearts that we left "Runnymede" and its many memories, to return to our home. Fun and friendliness are the order of the day at these camps, and perhaps the spirit that prevails in them can be best expressed in the line "Lo, here is Fellowship." L.T. LIFE ON AN ABORIGINAL STATION. Most of the Australian natives, at least in the south and east, live under Government protection in areas set apart for them. There are several of such stations in New South Wales, and, in Victoria, a large one at Lake Tyers. Most of the natives who live on them have white blood, inherited from several generations back. The station which I visited was in the Riverna. There were only two fullbloods on it, and the skins of the people varied in co!our from a deep, shiny black, like patent leathee, to a pale brown. Most of them had very dark eyes and hair, although, especially among the children, blue and grey eyes were not uncommon, and one gin had a wonderful mass of curly auburn hair. The houses of the people are weather-board places, mostly two-roomed, situated in a wide semi-circle, with the pump and wind-mill in the centre. These homes are not as might be imagined, filthy, squalid places, but the women keep them remarkably clean and tidy, and they receive an extra furbishing one day every week, just before the matron makes ber tour

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of inspection. Some of the men have cows of their own, and horses and carts, which they can use to cart firewood. At the back of the manager's house are the store and the meat-house. Once every week the children arrive with wheel-barrows and sugar-bags to take home the family's rations of Blankets and flour, sugar, treacle, meat, etc. material for clothes are also provided by the Adults who are able to work Government. but refuse to do so, do not, of course, receive any rations, but there are many now who cannot find jobs, and these have to be provided The usual occupation of the men is for. shearing on the big stations in the district, but lately some have been weeding on the tobacco pl_antations, which some stations have set. It is interesting to know that the old tobacdo plants will not grow in New South Wales while the young ones will not grow in Victoria. Therefore the owners have to sow the seeds in the Riverina, and when the plants have grown big enough transplant them to Victoria. The girls are even more in demand than the men for the tiresome business, but most of them go away from the station, after they have left school, to work as maids. In their spare time the women make useful baskets from river-reeds and most attractive posies and sprays of artificial flowers from the brightly coloured feathers of the parrots and They sell these for galahs that live up there. as much as they think they can get. At times they will give a feather posy in exchange for some old garment and at others they will demand 2/6 for one. One woman once made a basket and sent it round to a white neighbour, asking in exchange for it "Nine hen and two rooster!" For the same purpose the men make native weapons. To show how little idea the aboriginal has of the value of money I may quote the instance of a woman who received about £80 as Endowment money from the Government all in a lump sum, and becoming unsettled at the advent of such riches, finished it up in a week or so by hiring a taxi in which she careered off to Sydney. The highest grade in the aboriginal school is -bout equivalent to the fourth grade at the State schools. The children are weak at reading and writing, having never done any elsewhere. but are very quick at arithmetic. One small, boy of ten is always asking for "more Although lively and talkative they sums." are very docile children, the only disturbing Presence beimg that of Maisie, a fat threeYear-old. who insists on coming to school with her brother. One day the teacher was surprised because this small boy kept asking for another piece of chalk with which to write on his

slate. "What have you done with all the pieces I have given you, Stanley?" she asked. "Maisie's eaten them" was the almost tearful reply. For a long while the children had been accustomed to a man teacher, and when a lady took his place they somewhat astounded her by always addressing her as "Sir." As the station is near a river many of the men have cut canoes from the bark of the tall gum-trees by its side. Some of these trees bear marks that show where a canoe has been cut away perhaps a hundred years before. The oldest woman on the station can remember seeing Hume and Hovell when she was a girl, and relates that her husbaind rowed them across the river in a similar boat. The same lady is one of the few who can still speak what is known as the language. The main sport is football. The black men are good players, and good sportsmen. However, they cannot help showing their natural indolence even there. It is very amusing to see players sprawling on the ground smoking while the ball is at the other end, and when it comes clown putting their cigarettes behind their ears. At one match which I saw between two native teams, one team which had come a long way and lost their football clothes in transit, appeared in borrowed plumes of the most diverse shades. Some who had been unable to borrow wore their ordinary clothes and kicked with their bare feet. Their friends and supporters became so excited during the match that they rushed on to the oval and caus:-.0. confusion by mixing with the r;!a.yers. A wedding is a great event on the station. At the last one, which was a very smart affair, the bride wore embossed georgette and an embroidered net veil, and was attended by two bridesmaids and two small flower-girls, also attractively dressed, and carrying large bouquets. The best man was quite elderly and selected, not because of kinship or friendship with the groom, but because he was able to borrow a dress-suit to wear on the occasion. The cake cost £2, and was much admired—so much so that when the bridal group was being photographed the bride's mother carried it proudly up and set it in a position of honour in front. It would take a long time to tell of all the amusing things these people do. One Christmas the manager received a present of some feather flowers and boomerangs with this note attached, "Wishing you a happy Christmas and please have you any old pants." A woman was asked how her creeper was getting on. "Oh. it's not too bad," she said, "but the bees troubles it so." The same person was very indignant on being told once that she

THE LUCERNIAN could not have another pair of boots for her "Oh, well," she exclaimed bitterly, "let son. old Mr. Government keep them for his own little boy." The manager once had occasion to ask the children what their second names were. When he came to a small boy, Alec, he said, "Now you haven't got a second name have you, Alec?" "Oh yes he has," said one of the Some of others, "his second name Zander." the natives by the way have most pompous names. One boy, born on the King's birth-

day was christened William George, but is The best story always known as "Kingie." It happened that of all is that of Charlie S. a certain native who resembled Charlie was As Charlie had found drowned in the river. been seen about there not long before it was assumed that it was his body and his death was reported in the local paper. When Charlie read this he was terribly worried and for a long time couldn't be really convinced that he was still alive ! K.B.

:0:-

Verse and Prose. THE MOONPATH

THANKSGIVING

For the gold behind the mountains, And the tall, straight, shadowy gums, And the crystal frost on the grey-green grass When the quiet of evening comes. For the smell of the, cold, salt wind And the sting of the flying sand, And the cry of the wheeling, white birds above, And the little pink shell in my hand. For the blue wood-smoke of Autumn, Drifting across the glade, An.d the golden sunshine filling the air And the cornfields in gold arrayed. For rain-wet earth in a pine-wood, For roses with incense stored, But most, for the good gift of laughter, We offer all thanks to Thee, Lord. H.McC. RETROSPECT.

Roses by a cottage door, Violets in the lane, Snowdrops in the fields around, Shimmering in the rain. The shallow stream among the rocks Sang aloud its careless lay, Beautiful on this misty day. I gathered up some maiden-hair, Still wet with diamond drops of dew, And as I plucked some daffodils, My only thought there was of you. The great white clouds were chasing by, Up aloft in the windy sky. And now, whenever I'm alone, I seem to see and hear these things— The song of the thrush, the waterfall— To all a misty feeling clings. I almost feel the brush of the grass That wet my feet as I did pass. M.M.

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When nights are calm and cloudless, And the moon is round and bright, All the air is full of glamour and romance, And there is magic that will stir you In the pure and silvery light That falls aslant the waters as they dance. For the path across the ocean, Leads to dreamlands of delight, And lures you with its mystery and charm, Till your soul it longs to follow it, 'Mid the music of the night, When only distant echoes break the calm. Oh, that shining silver pathway, Is the track that you must take, To the islands of enchantment 'neath the moon, Where the perfume of white blossoms, And the sheen of strange bird's, wings, Fill your wandering soul with beauty as the breezes waft a tune. K.B. SPRING SONG.

Spring is coming with skies of blue To cheer up me and cheer up you; Good-bye to dull and rainy days, For the birds build nests in the hawthorn sprays. The streams with water fast are running, Cheer up! Cheer up! for Spring is coming. String is coming with blossoming bowers, To brighten the earth with sweet-smelling flowers; Welcome the bright and sunny days, Welcome the merry skylark's lays; The lizard his shiny coat is sunning, Cheer up! Cheer un! for Spring is coming. A.C.

THE LUCERNIAN TO OUR EXPLORERS.

To you, brave hearts, to whom we owe our land Of teeming wealth, and beauty wild and strange, My humble thanks I pay, that you may know Your deeds still live in people's hearts and minds, When unknown perils filled your hearts with fear, And all your last, faint, flickering hopes died out, Your minds were captured with the mystery Of what that distant line of hills concealed, What richer, fairer land, what unknown streams Might lie beyond the blue horizon's line. And. so with visions bright you started out, And through each blazing day you trudged athirst, Mocked by mirages on the bare baked plains, Shimmering in ceaseless heat to the sky line's verge, Marked by no shade of sheltering bush or tree. At night you heard the lonely dingo's howl, And, as you rested, watched the pale stars rise, And shine out, one by one, in the darkening sky. With every dawn your toil began anewThe hearts oft sickened with a mute disnair, A nd Avery sunrise brought fresh hone to cheer The hearts oft sickened with a mute despair, TT,til at 'PO: the goal was seen afar. "The sea!" you cried in glad, triumphant shout, And made the hills re-echo with your joy'. K.B. THE CASTLE. Alone you stand upon that dark, tall rock, Gazing bleakly at the grey North Sea, The fortress grim of some great chief of old Even in the days before Macbeth was king. What stories you might tell, could stones but speak! Tales of rude Vikings rowing o'er the waves Seeking adventure in far distant lands, And of bloody forays with the neighbouring chiefs, Of brigandage, of murder and of loot. Deep in your awful dungeons lurk the ghosts Of those who died forsaken in the dark and cold In the dim ruins of the dusty hall Where once full-throated shouts of wassail rang, And soft-voiced minstrels sang their ballads gay, Only the blackened chairs and table stand.

Gone from the wall are trophies of the chase. And that rich broidery worked by the ladies fair, Within their towers, watching o'er the moor. Only a dream of all its strength remains; For who would fear it now? That gaunt, grim castle on its granite rock, Save country folk who whisper fearful tales Of ghosts and devils, and an ancient curse. K.B. THE SONG OF THE WIND. I swept across the rolling sea, To where the foam-flecked waves Were sporting with the sun-beams I rushed upon them with reckless glee. They flung their white arms high and gleaming, I laugh aloud with joy, And watched the blue wave Swell towards the sky. Then crash in multitudinous rainbow bubbles, But soon I wearied of this sport, And so passed to the land. I saw the people moving in the streets, And thought the smoke about the chimneypots looked dull. I blew with all my might, and soon the smoke Drifted across the plains, and then was lost forever Tn the cool, nure air. I played a while with the golden locks of the wheat, I stirred the oak-leaves, bent the nines. Till their green breasts heaved and they sighed, And I kissed the laughing cheeks of the flowers blooming on the hill-sides. Then up and, away to the wide, wild heath, And so the sea again, The sun glowed in the west and here T saw a star lit in the darkening sky, All the world rested, and so I slept awhile on the soft bosom of a cloUd. L.T. THE SILHOUETTE. In an old, rambling stone house our grandmother lived. She had silvery-white hair, and soft, blue eyes. As we sat by the fire on a cold and, wintry evening, Granny would tell us stories her mother had told her, many of them being quite true. The one that was the favourite with us all was the story about the silhouette, which was in the tiny, gold lOcket hung round Granny's neck,

THE LUCERNIAN After she had told us a new story Jean would always say, "Please Granny, I want this story," and she would put her hand around Granny's neck, and undo the little gold clasp, and take off the locket and put it gently into Granny's tiny, withered hand. Sometimes we had to help her, because her chubby, baby hands could not undo the clasp. When Granny had opened the locket she would start her story. During the Crimean War when England was fighting against Russia, and many young sweethearts had to part, never to come back again; men used to travel about the countryside making silhouettes of the young girls who gave them to their sweethearts, before they went away to the war. It was when Granny's mother was about twenty-three, Granny being a little baby, that her husband went to the war, and her mother gave him the locket, and a curl of his baby's golden hair. He never returned, but a faithful friend brought back the locket and the tiny curl which Granny has hidden away amongst her most cherished possessions. As Granny finishes, Mavis gently takes the locket from her hand, and places it round her withered little neck, while the rest of us look into the fire, our thoughts flying back to those old, old days when many sweethearts parted, each to have a silhouette of one another. A. C. MY FIRST RIDING LESSON. One eventful holiday I decided to have my first riding lesson. With a doubtful eye, I surveyed my steed, a rather bony bay of the pony species., his prominent ribs, his short tail, and altogether dejected air gave him rather a pathetic appearance, and I felt my courage mount as I took hold of the bridle. As though awakened from a pleasant nap, he turned his head, and eyed me, rather condescendingly. Perhaps it was because he noted my brand new riding breeches and the unmistakable "new chum" look about me. At any rate his look was superior enough to make my momentary courage wane somewhat, as I approached his side and put my right foot in the stirrup to find that only by sitting backwards in the saddle could I get the other foot over. With a glance round to see if anyone had seen my blunder, I hastily took my foot out, and with another look at the pony which, I noted with slight annoyance, was now resting

his weight on three legs in rather a bored fashion, placed my left foot in the stirrup and with quite a flourish seated myself in the saddle. To my amazement, to say the least, horror, the noble steed, now thoroughly alive to present happenings began a series of circles, and the more I clung to the reins, the faster he went, then I found I had not thrown the reins over his head. I was at first humiliated, then puzzled as to how I should stop his circling and dismount. I was not sure that at any moment he might not become giddy and fall over, as I myself was feeling very much inclined to do so. A pessimist had told me that before becoming a good rider, one had to fall off a horse I had a sinking feeling that the three times. time for my first fall was fast approaching, as indeed it was, but not as fast as I thought. With some little difficulty I dismounted and placed the reins over his head when the process of remounting began over again. though I will say, I made fewer mistakes than before. Firmly seated in the saddle with a tight grip on the reins now properly adjusted, I contemplated as to whether I should urge my mount forward or whether such a superior animal should choose his own time of moving. Remembering his condescending airs I decided it must be the latter. However, after at least ten minutes' waiting, I thought it quite justifiable to urge him a little; so I did, with a gentle dig of the heels and a shake of the reins. This so startled the animal, which had undoubtedly been indulging in another nap, that he gave a wild bound forward jerking me into mid-air to arrive back in the saddle with a somewhat painful jolt, leaving me in doubt as to whether I had lost the tip of my tongue or only just the feeling out of it. During my brief flight my feet had lost touch with the stirrups, and my hands the reins, but the steed oblivious to both these facts jogged. on, blissfully contented, now that his first fright was over. This, however, did not improve my precarious position, and after a few yards of unseemly jolting up and down. in vain endeavour to regain the stirrups, I jolted a little too much to one side, and described a graceful parabola on to the ground, where I sat, shaken, but unhurt, and not a little annoyed at the bony old animal's perversity. That worthy beast, however, was not in the least perturbed, but was relaxing his hind leg

THE LUCERNIAN and resting on the remaining three (which by the way, seemed to be his characteristic attitude), and his nose drooping earthwards, took another forty winks, while awaiting my pleasure to arise. Completely humiliated I led him to the stables and postponed my riding lessons until I could procure a more consistent mount. N.M. LAMENT. What can I do for you, Chilblains, my chilblains! What. is there I would not do, Chilblains, my own? With your red and swollen heat Tinging on my hands and feet, Till my veins like hammers beat, Chilblains, All day long, and nightly too, Chilblains. I can feel you hot and hard, Chilblains, my chilblains! To quench your fire I rub in lard, Chilblains, I do! But you itch and sting again, On my toes and flingers ten, And I long for summer, when, Chilblains, I can say good-bye to you, Chilblains !

J.A.

A DISSERTATION ON ELEVATION. Morongo is a glorious place for lovers of education, The You Yangs is a sweeter place for those who hail vacation; Their atmosphere is crisp and rare, and free from all temptation; Their lofty peaks in grandeur rise 'midst scenes of cultivation; Their rugged slopes are clothed with tre,es of manifold variation, The birds pour forth their sweetest songs in heights of exultation; There would I pass the whole day long in pensive meditation, Alone in lofty solitude upon the Peak called Station ! J.P. THE APPROACH TO MORONGO. As you approach our driveway, Between the iron gates high In fi-ont, you see, between the trees The clouds sail in the sky. And when you turn towards the left, There's a green field greeting you; And when you turn towards the right, There's such a lovely view.

The bay is in the distance, And on its shore Geelong, But, we hear no city noises ! We see no city throng ! And as you wander slowly Along the shady drive, A voice proclaims within you, "How good to be alive." G.W. TO BLUE DUCKS. The Editorial Staff wishes to thank all the contributors whose work does not appear in these pages. Their message is to keep on trying, next year, why, you never know, you might be more fortunate. For those who refuse to be beaten by the elusive rhyme or the scansion that won't scan, they issue the following advice:— Don't, unless you have a particularly bright idea, try to parody any well-known poem. The original author might rise from his grave and haunt you. (J.A., G.W., N.M.) Even if you have hunted through the alphabet thus—ban, can, dan , etc.—for a rhyme, try not to make your poetry sound like it. (J.T.) Digs at the Staff and Prefects. are not fair. They can't dig back—and anyway, they are too polite. (L.T.) All complaints about work (pressure of) detentions, monitress duties, etc., are to be referred to the proper authorities, but not through these pages. We aim to rise above the noise of faction. (F.L., G.L., A.B.) If baffled by rhyme and metre, do one of the following:— (a) Try prose instead. (b) Hand your idea over to a well-known poet. (c) Consult the Editor (see (b) ) (d) Hand. your poem in as it is. A really capable editorial staff can work wonders. :o: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the following magazines:— "The Scotch Collegian," from Scotch College; "Patchwork," from the Presbyterian Ladies' College; "The Fintonian," from Fintona; "Silver and Green," from the Methodist Ladies' College; "The Frensham Chronicle," from Frensham; "The Ruytonian," from Ruyton; and "Pegasus," from Geelong College. The Editorial Committee wishes to take this opportunity of thanking Miss Nicholson for all the work which she has done to make this publication possible.

SCHOOL BASKET BALL TEAM. 1932.

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