Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- History
The latest big gang of bushrangers were the Kelly brothers, who infested
Victoria. Ned Kelly was famous because he wore a suit of armour
sufficiently strong to resist the rifle bullet of that day. The Kellys
were finally driven to cover in a little country hotel in Victoria. They
held the place against a siege by the police until the police set fire
to it. Some of the gang perished in the flames. Others, including Ned
Kelly himself, broke out and were shot or captured. He was hanged in
Melbourne gaol.
But this is getting far away from the Australian children's games. It is
a curious fact that when the Australian children assemble to play
"Bushrangers and Bobbies," everybody wants to be a bushranger, and the
guardian of the law is looked upon as quite an inferior character. Lots
decide, however, the cast. The bushrangers sally forth and stick up an
imaginary coach, or rob an imaginary country bank. The "bobbies" go in
pursuit, and there is a desperate mock battle, which allows of much
yelling and running about, and generally causes great joy.
"Camping out" is another characteristic amusement of the Australian
child. In his school holidays, parties go out, sometimes for weeks at a
time, sailing around the reaches of the sea inlets, or, inland,
following the course of some river, and hunting kangaroos and other game
as they go. Generally adults accompany these parties, but when an
Australian boy has reached the age of fifteen or sixteen he is credited
with being able to look after himself, and is trusted to sail a boat and
to carry a firearm. I can remember once on the way down to National Park
(N.S.W.) for the Field Artillery camp, at one of the suburban stations
there broke into the carriage reserved for officers, with a cheerful
impudence that defied censure, a little band of boys. They had not a
shoe among them, nor had anyone a whole suit of clothes. But they
carried proudly fishing tackle and some rags of canvas which would help,
with boughs, to build a rough shelter hut. The remainder of the train
being full, they invaded the officers' carriage and made themselves
comfortable. They were out for a few days' "camp" in the National Park.
For about ten shillings they would hire a rowing-boat for three days.
Railway fares would be sixpence or ninepence per head. A good deal of
their food they would catch with fishing lines; bread, jam, a little
bacon, and, of course, the "billy" and its tea were brought with them.
This was the great yearly festival, planned probably for many weeks
beforehand, calling for much thought for its accomplishment, showing the
sturdy spirit which is characteristic of the young Australian.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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