Spinning
Tops and Gumdrops is an historical book which addresses Colonial
childhood from 1788 to the early 1900s.
The 260 images, some of which have
never been seen before, include sketches by S.T. Gill and other artists of the
time.
Passages from memoirs written for the education of future generations are
used to fill this divine collection of early history and pioneering life.
Pictures of games that children played, how they
entertained themselves, how they occupied their time, the state of education or
lack of, and the clothing children wore, give a strong indication of how they
lived in early Australia.
There is also interesting information on the role of
children within the large families that were common during those years; how they
had to contribute to the chores on farms, fetching water, minding their younger
siblings, and the allocation of gender roles during these years. Stunning
photos represent the class divide, but where children played, class had no
place.
Progress brought change. Life in the goldfields and
the rich history of those times is recalled, as is the closeness of families
and fondest memories that lasted a lifetime.
A time of the stocks; public floggings and hangings
outside the jail became a common occurrence, as was child mortality due to
sickness, mainly Diphtheria, but more so as the result of lack of hygiene and
proper food, which resulted in diarrhoea being the greatest killer of children.
This book offers so much. Images of portraits
painted before the introduction of photography in the 1840s decorate the pages
as do the magnificent pictures from the National Library of Australia. They
draw us back into the past and remind us of our country’s beginnings and
evolution – good and bad.
It was shocking to discover the similarities in the
situations of the most vulnerable in society. Much remains as it was in the
destitute days of the mid 1800s. As I read about domestic violence, the
abandoned and neglected children that were forced into homes, their sexual abuse
by officials and carers, and how many were forced into prostitution due to
their poverty, I realized how little has changed in that area; that we haven’t
learnt what history should have taught.
This is a pick up and put down book. Open it
anywhere and you will not be disappointed either by the text or the visuals.
Presented in a powerful and informative narrative tone, it retains the reader’s
absorbed interest throughout the six chapters. It’s an extremely valuable resource
on our Colonial history; its shocking and beautiful parts, both claiming our
full attention.
Title:
Spinning Tops & Gumdrops: A Portrait of Colonial Childhood
Author:
Edwin Barnard
Publisher:
NLA, $44.95
Publication
Date: March 2018
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9780642279187
For
ages: 12+
Type:
Non Ficiton
