The letters of Rachel Henning, written between 1853 and 1882, were first published in THE BULLETIN in 1951 and early-1952, about 37 years after their writer's death. Though originally intended for family eyes only, they represent a fascinating fragment of Australian history, and are unique in our published historical and literary records. They have a charm and provocativeness that are all their own, and tell of Australia nearly a century ago as no one else has so far told us.

The outstanding characteristic of the letters is the observant and downright commentary a period in our past from the pen of a previously sheltered young English- on woman (daughter of a clergyman and granddaughter, on her mother's side, of another clergyman) who left the culture and comfort of England to follow the fortunes of her younger brother in a raw, gold-chasing and land-seeking new community. There is a gossipy intimacy about the letters that recaptures the atmosphere of the times. The daily life of the young Hennings in Australia, as told by Rachel, is absorbing and refreshing to readers of this age, and vastly entertaining so far as it reveals Rachel's own character to us.

270mm x 215mm. 126 pages. Forty pen-drawings by Norma Lindsay