Burrinjuck, June 4, 1931
l didn't write last week because we were having such a miserable time, and l didn't want to write about it. The cause of our misery was nothing worse than the weather, though I would never have believed that weather conditions could have such an a devastating effect on one's state of mind. When you live in a camp, cold, rainy and windy days can freeze - and blow -the will to live right out of you, almost.
The first wages that Sverre brought home were quickly used up. We owed so many people money - the butcher, the baker and others as well. The Government Savings Bank of N.S.W., where we have our money, will give you £3 a week if you collect it yourself. They will not send it by mail. The Burrinjuck branch has been closed and it costs £2 to go to Yass and back. So there we were without money for quite a time. George Fraser, who used to have the branch here tried to arrange for us to withdraw £25, but it was impossible. So my trip to Sydney which was planned for today, has had to be abandoned. Next Tuesday, Mr Cregan, a shop owner, will be driving his truck to Yass; and since 1 am a customer of his, maybe he'll take me with him so I can speak to the bank manager. Since they won‘t send us the money, you would think that after so many weeks they should be able to give us Fore than £3. My teeth are in a terrible condition, and my shoes are holy and torn, and in Sydney things are only half the price that they are in Yass.
It was Sverre’s birthday last Wednesday. It was a cheerless affair, unfortunately. It had already been raining for several days, and on this particular day the rain came down in torrents. Through pure procrastination, we had never got round to finishing off the insulation of the house for winter. Draughts came in from all sides, since there was a regular storm raging. The room was full of wet clothes, and the water in the lake was rising every minute and creeping closer to our house. One moment you could still see a tree top; five minutes later it was under water. Believe me, it was no fun. Just the thought of possibly having to drag all our things out of the house in that awful weather was enough to make us feel rotten. On top of all that, Ron Fagerlund came to see us. I imagine he couldn't cook dinner in his fireless tent and was hungry. I didn't have the dinner ready until late, since I had been knitting till the last moment. We were all hungry and cold, and everything was damp. However I did finish the socks before Sverre got back from work. They actually look quite good, except they turned out too small. Today I unpicked the toes (I actually unpicked something myself) to knit them a little longer. I had piled Sverre’s presents in a pretty little heap, together with a bunch of flowers and his letters. We are already reading the book you sent, and enjoying it very much.
Sverre works only four days a week, from Monday to Thursday. It means he earns a bit less - about £4.10.-, but it is nice that he has so much free time. On working days he is always tired in the evenings. The first two weeks he got to ride to wkr in a car, but now the man can't take him any more; so every morning I go with him accross the bay in the boat, and in the evening I row over to pick him up when he comes home.
The road around the bay is about 2 ½ miles. From next week on, someone else will be taking him by car, but only from the other side of the bay, so we will still be rowing over. As soon as we have two boats, I won't need to go with him. It doesn’t matter so much in the mornings, but in the afternoons I have to leave the dinner cooking on the stove, and that is inconvenient.
Jip and I have had a day of mourning today. We gave away our dear little Goigle. Oigle has been with the Frasers a couple of days already.
They were such adorable little animals. Goigle was our favourite. She was so good, and seemed so clever. I miss them both terribly, and I even shed a few tears over them. But we couldn't have so many dogs. One is really quite enough. Goigle was better than Jip, but I love Jip and want to keep her. Now I’ll just have to watch out so we don’t get another act of the same play.
We are not fishing any more. Our hands get too cold. Also we almost lost one of our nets, worth 25 sh. because the water rose so quickly. We saved it at the very last moment. The nets are 30' wide and 90' long and they are strung up between two trees in the water to form a net wall. The fish swim into the wall and get stuck in the mesh. They can't swim backwards and the holes in the net are too small to let them through. The water stopped about 15' below our house. After Sverre’s birthday the rain continued a couple more days. The sluices were opened, so now the water has started to sink just a little. It hasn't rained so much here for such a long time, so people were afraid there would be another flood like the one they had in 1926.
I have been wearing long pants for quite a while, since they are so nice and warm. Mrs Fraser’s daughters wear long pant too. I have been using the electric comb now for two weeks, but I still see no sign of curls. I still haven't given up hope. My hair looks kind of different I think, though I may be just imagining that. Now I will go and do some shopping and visit Mrs Andersson. I need some comfort for Goigle.
Burrinjuck, June 11, 1931
It is raining and raining incessantly. The sluices in the dam are all open, and still the water is rising. It is still some distance from our house, but nevertheless we are a bit anxious. We won't drown of course, but it would be horrible to have to move out, and the water wouldn't exactly improve the state of our sack house. It is so dark during the day, you feel like lighting the lamps, but in the half light the kerosene lamps seem so weak, and the dim light is depressing. Today there is a gale blowing but it is quite warm, almost 20 degrees. Also we have now insulated our house as well as possible, so it is warm and dry indoors.
I have been terribly troubled by boils ever since I started living in the bush. My burnt wrist has now healed, but round the place where the burn was, small boils developed, all at one time, as well as one on the elbow. I feel quite sick and miserable from the pain. Today, the only one that has not yet erupted is the one on my elbow. I hope I won't get any more, I've had enough of this plague.
Sverre is not working in during these rainy days. However the time will not be lost, since they will be taking in the time later. Working on Saturdays and holidays. That means he still gets his full wages for 53 hours a week. Sverre has been reading to me a lot. We are almost through with Nansen's book.
Our little Jippie is quite miserable. After we took her pups away she cried for several days. Also she stepped on a piece of broken glass and cut herself badly. I was also quite miserable. I missed Oigle and Goigle, and the pain from the boils put me in a sentimental mood- I’m a regular tear bag.
Evelyn Chaffer wrote me that all the members of her family have their money in the same bank as we have, but she has an account in the Commonwealth Bank and offered me £10. Unfortunately that is not enough. I need at least £25. The trip itself will cost almost £4. and then there is the dentist. (1 tooth is 15 Sh., and I have six that need treating.)
l have to buy warm clothes For Sverre, and a number of other things. I have written to the bank at Yass, but they haven’t answered yet. Sverre is sitting beside me doing an English crossword puzzle. That is a pain in the neck for me. Since we have only a German-English dictionary, he keeps asking me.
Burrinjuck, June 20, 1931
There has been no mail for us this week. Every day I row over to the Post Office, and come back disappointed. I expect the mail boat has been delayed by the storm. The storm is still raging, and it is raining incessantly. The water is gurgling and splashing quite close to the house. On either side of the main wall of the dam, the walls are several yards lower, so that when the water gets very high, it is possible for it to flow over without the whole dam being under water. The water has now just reached the top of these walls, and we hope that now it won't rise any further. Although, during the flood of 1926, it rose to several feet above the level of the main wall. It would be awful if that happened. We would have to move out, and afterwards it would be a terrible job getting everything in order again-
There's no point in painting the devil on the wall, but the sky is so grey, and everywhere water is rushing down the mountains in splashing streams. The water in the lake is brownish yellow from all the mud that is being swirled up. It's true, we have clear rain water in our barrels, but I would rather carry water from the lake than have this miserable weather.
I was in Yass twice this last week, once on Friday, and again on Tuesday. The First time Mick Cregan, the shop owner took me in his truck, and the second time I went with a Mr Stan Lowrie who has a wonderful little Baby Austin (2 seater). Since my second trip, I can think of nothing but Baby Austins, and if I get the opportunity, I will buy a second hand one in Sydney. They are hard to get hold of but I might be lucky. These cars use so little fuel and are so cheap to run that they are seldom sold second hand. The new ones are very expensive. It would be lovely to own a car. In Taemas you could often go places fairly cheaply, but here we are way beyond the ends of the earth. Sometimes I am just so sick of the bush, but it will probably be a good while before conditions change and Sverre can get work elsewhere. So we must just be patient. After all, apart from being so isolated, we are pretty well off.
I went to Yass to see the bank. Each time I got £3. I hope they will soon open up again completely, so my trip to Sydney can become a reality.
I was going to play the balalaika with Elsie Fraser, who plays the piano. When I arrived, Mrs Cregan was there. She plays too, and the Frasers let her use their piano. Before she started to play, she told me about all the diplomas she had received for her playing, seven altogether! "And you know the R.U.F., you know, it's the highest you can get." People are all like that here, telling you proudly about their diplomas. She is able to play the piano, but not music — despite her diplomas. Pearl Chaffer is like that too. She has certificates in frames all over the wall, but when she plays, the important thing seems to be to do so as quickly and loudly as possible, using the pedal all the time. I can't play myself, but I have heard too much beautiful music to be able to admire these certificate holders as everyone else seems to do.
I have started knitting a pair of socks for Keith Hindwood, His birthday is on July 5. Actually it is more of a present for his mother, who has to darn his socks constantly. Keith never buys socks himself, and all his socks, which were given to him by his only beloved years ago, are old and rotten. I know, because once, when I was visiting, I offered to help with the darning.
Hindwoods are storing all my things. I hope nothing is getting spoiled. I have the idea that I'd like for us to add another room to our house, a living room, where I could put some of the pretty things I have in Sydney. Otherwise they will just be ruined before I can use then. Frasers have given us a chaise lounge which will go in the room when it is finished. Only first we must see what happens to the water.
Yesterday Stan Lowrie was here for dinner. He is Mr Andersson's assistant, and a very nice man. He had his violin with him and played though not particularly. He is from Newcastle on Tyne.
Burrinjuck June 30, 1931
Last week I didn't write, because things were so bad here, and even though I had a little time, now and again, the emotional temperature was way under zero and I didn't even want to start to write. It was a nightmare of a week. The wind blew, and the rain came down in torrents. All the people in Burrinjuck, who live in lower lying areas had to move out in the cold and rain, to save their things, as the water moved into their houses. At our place the water was splashing right under our verandah. Since our house is on a hillside, it looks like this (INSERT sketch).
In summer the water’s edge is far below the wash house. The wash house had had long since disappeared under water} and still the water kept coming up the hill. When it was at the foot of the verandah we had to move out, since up till then it had been rising at the rate of 3’ per hour. We had already put up a makeshift tent during the day, just in case, so that at least we would have a roof over our heads. But then the thought of having to drag all our things through the rain, only to crouch on a wet clay floor in an open tent, surrounded by a chaos of wet stuff was just too much for me, I wailed. Sverre kept looking for somewhere for us to stay, and finally we were able to get a room at the Gleeson’s, who have a large house. Several other homeless people were there as well. I had just prepared dinner (it was 6pm and completely dark) when Sverre arrived with the news that a man with a truck was coming to pick up our things. We wanted to have a quick meal, but in the middle of it six fellows arrived and things started rolling. They opened our chests and cupboards, took all the things from the walls etc, stuffed chests and cupboards, stuffed them in wherever and however, and carried everything onto the truck.
I can tell you I was at my wits’ end, yet I had to be thankful for their help. Luckily the rain stopped for precisely the half hour it took to load the truck, so nothing was spoiled. Afterwards we sat in our room with all our things in complete disorder around us, unwashed dishes, leftovers from dinner, and wet clothes from the line (the clothes line was under water). It was indescribable! However the Australians showed us once again their sunny outlook. Nothing to worry about’" they say. “It will all work out. Just leave everything and come and sit by our fire and have a cup of tea. Bring your instrument along- You can tidy things up tomorrow.”
They made tea, we found our bread and a couple of cakes. And lo and behold, it did all work out. Not simply, but impressively Mrs Gleeson told me to make myself at home in the kitchen. Mrs Gordon said she was just washing, and if I’d give her my wet and dirtied washing, she would rinse it for me. And Mrs Lenyon, also homeless, and the mother of four small children beamed and seemed to feel quite at home. I asked Mrs Gleeson if it didn’t upset her to have so many people in her home. “Oh no, I like people” she said, and all the children, women and dogs seemed to be just there for her entertainment. I am speechless over this happy manner of just taking things as they come. Sverre is a bith like that too. But me – I am tragic and nervous. Recently, I threw the coffee kettle, full of boiling water on the floor, and was about to start howling (because everything makes me want to howl at the moment) when Sverre said: " Just say '0h, the coffee kettle fell down’, then pick it up, and it's all over.” I hope some day I can be like that.
The water, by the way, stopped rising as soon as we were out of the house and started to fall again. Two days later we went home, this time using Peer Gynt. The water was several feet over the side walls of the dam. I have never seen such torrents of raging water. It was like a witches cauldron and the foam flew high in the air. It was a beautiful sight.
We hid a couple of days without rain, then yesterday there was a hail storm and today it is pouring rain again. It's disgusting. But never mind, there are better times to come! Is it not? We are not getting any money either. Work has stopped because of all the water, and probably won't start again for another couple of weeks.
The ground has been greatly eroded by all the water. The main road, which was cut through the hills, is blocked in many places by heaps of dirt and boulders so big, that they will have to be blasted away. Yesterday there was also a bad accident. A young man who was hunting foxes, stepped on a XXX which had loosened and he fell down a cliff about 50 yards. He had an ear torn off and his skull fractured. It is not yet known if he will survive. He is such a nice person, Russell Philips, only 23 years old.
Keith’s socks are now finished and tomorrow I will mail them. Now I am knitting a second pair for Sverre, after which I will not knit again for a long time. I only started on this pair because he was so pleased with the others. In this weather they are much warmer and more comfortable than any you can buy.
NEXT: July 1931