'I shut my eyes and picture our place': gardens, farm landscapes and working-class dreams in 1930s—1940s south-eastern Australia

摘要

In spring 1937, 'Peanuts' wrote to the 'Women's Bureau' of the Weekly Times, a rural newspaper in south-eastern Australia:I would love to take you folk who are not fortunate enough to live in the country and give you all a ramble through the bush, hunting orchids and wild flowers and ferns, listening to Laughing Jackass, magpie, parrot, and many other birds . . . Today I went to a neighbor's on business, and coming home I gathered such a lovely bunch of wild flowers. All my vases are full. Our gardens are quite bright; everything is growing beautifully. We had a beautiful lot of rain last week, and everything has benefitedfrom it. Our potatoes are up now, also peas, silver beet, onions and broad beans. We have late cabbage and cauliflowers coming on, too. Across the front I have planted sunflowers; 75 are up . . . Wishing all as much happiness as I at present am enjoying.