Letters to Lester - March 1, 2011

Dear Lester,
I’m having a horrible time, on the boat to Australia from England. My Father keeps on talking to himself about how he is going to find lots of gold nuggets, when he goes mining in Ballarat.
On the boat, we don’t have much accommodation.  We sleep on bunk beds, with sacks of flour as pillows and a rag as a blanket!
But there are good things on our boat. I love going outside, onto the deck, with the ocean, spraying in my face and the wind running through my hair! I miss you so much Lester. Please write a letter back to me, Lester, about how grade7 is in England, and how Mrs Charles and Mr Charles are going. I heard your Father got a new job as a teacher in “The Grammar School of Antony Browne” Congratulations! I hope to see you again Lester, for I miss you lots!
Love
From
Annabel Franklin



Dear Lester,
Now it’s been 3 months since, I have written you a letter, and I’m now in Australia! I’m so glad I’m off that boat, for I couldn’t stand the smell, but I did have to put up with it for 3 and half months! It’s very busy in Australia, and this country is very poor!  Poorer then England! When we first got off the boat, it felt like I was still rocking from side to side, so I fell over.
But a lovely man named Mr Fred MacDonald caught me. Mr MacDonald was on the boat with us as and was really nice to me the whole way and did you know, I was the only young girl on the boat, but everyone was really nice to me.
It’s really nice weather down in Australia Lester, the right weather for gold mining. We’re all really excited, to see if Father is going to find some gold! We all think he’s going to, because he’s really determined to, and we all believe in him!
But oh Lester, you don’t know how much I miss you! You’re my best friend, but I can’t see you again! Please write back to me when you get these letters Lester! I hope your doing well in England. Bye
Love
From
Annabel Franklin


Oh Lester,
You don’t know how miserable we are. Father hasn’t found anything! No one has! Mother is going round to everyone’s houses begging for money and offering to get paid if she does their Laundry and house work!
But the worst part of all is I had to get a job Lester! As a maid! Because father hasn’t found any gold and Mother hasn’t got any money to support us! It’s terrible Lester! I’d rather live on the boat, than live her and work! I hate it! I really want to come back to England, to be with you, your family and our friends! Write to me Lester!
Love
From
Annabel Franklin

-Clare Cooper