a waltz for matilda summary - 9goldenglish · it was very dark when she left for work and she was...

A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French

Chapter One

August 1894

Matilda wrote her father a letter, this is what she said:

Dear Dad,I hope you are well.Did you get my last letter? Mum and I are not at Aunt Anne’s now, we are living with Mrs Dawkins in Grinder’s Alley. It is a boarding house and we only have one room. Mrs Dawkins is kind. She found me a job in a jam factory. I pretend that I am fourteen, not twelve so that I get paid three shillings a week. The boys get six shilling and I don’t think that is fair.

We are so poor that we have had our furniture taken away. Mum is very sick and we have no money for doctors. She is very sick and cannot do work anymore.

I hope you are alright. I am worried because we have not received any money from you for more than a year now. I wonder whether you have received my letters. We have very little money after I pay the 1 shilling for rent. I buy old bread from the bakers and vegetables that are starting to go off from the green grocers - then I make a soup. I am worried about Mum because we don’t have money for medicine.

Give my love to the sheep and the lambs. I hope that one day I will see the farm. Do you have a dog? I like dogs.

Your loving daughter,Matilda

After writing the letter it was time for Matilda to go to work. It was very dark when she left for work and she was nervous because hiding in the streets were gangs of boys called “The Push” who sometimes threatened her, but she had to go in the dark because if she was late someone else would take her job .... there were so many poor families.

Something moved in the shadows, but it was Ah Ching, a Chinese man who sold fruit and vegetables. She liked him and he liked her. He had taught her some Chinese words and she always said hello in this way,“Qing An”, she said and he bowed and smiled. He gave her a peach. She wanted to eat it as she hadnʼt had anything to eat since the day before, but she decided to keep it for her Mum.


Ah Ching saw this and generously gave her another one. When she ate it she felt like she was a princess.... it was SO good. Her pleasure made Ah Ching smile as he left her.

When he was gone the gang came . They caught her and one, Todger Bailiey, held a knife to her throat. Matilda bravely fought him off. They chased her, but when she got to the factory the dog, Bruiser, was there to meet her and protect her. The Push were frightened of him, but he loved Matilda.

Inside she met her friend, Tommy, who had brought her a sandwich to eat. He was good to her and took care of her. She ate the sandwich and fell asleep, but was woken by the factory manager and made to go to work.

Matildaʼs job was to put label on tins of jam. The tins were very hot and they burnt her hands as she did her job. It was difficult and hard work - for eleven hours! It was dangerous too because the hot jam could injure people. Some women had lost fingers doing the work.

Just as she was thinking about this she heard a crack and turned to see the vat of boiling jam spilling over the floor. Under it she could see that someone was hurt.


Chapter Two

It was Tommy! He was lying there unconscious being burned by the jam. No one moved to help him. Matilda ran for the hose and quickly had water gushing over Tommy. She saved his life, but he had been burned badly on one arm and on one side of his face. He was taken to hospital.

Poor Tommy who had been the happiest person at the factory - now was in hospital, maybe dying ... would he be able to recover?

She then went home to care for her Mum. When she got there her Mum listened to what had happened and tried to comfort her. She held Matilda and told her the story of her father, “The Golden Man”.

She said, “Once upon a time a golden man rode into town. He had brown eyes, deep as a well, and a smile as bright as a lamplight. He had a big horse that was as black as night. The Golden Man came to the tearoom where there was a waitress who had never seen anyone like him before. He told her he could eat a horse and she said that they didnʼt have any horse, but they had cinnamon toast. He liked the joke and said that she smelt like cinnamon and that he wanted a pile of cinnamon toast. She made it for him - a huge pile dripping in butter and sprinkled with cinnamon, along with cup after cup of tea That night there was a dance and the golden man and the waitress danced dance after dance. Six weeks later they were married and he took her down a golden road to a golden farm.”

That was the story of how Matildaʼs mum met Matildaʼs dad. They were married six week after they met. Matilda said she would love one day to go and see the farm, and the sheep, and maybe there would be a dog there....

Matilda closed her eyes and fell asleep.

When she woke up her Mumʼs eyes were closed. Her Mum had died.


Chapter Four

All Matilda could do was arrange the funeral as best she could with the help of Mrs Dawkins. She wrote her dad a letter:

Dear Dad,

I hope you are well.

I am sorry I do not know how to tell you this. Mum is dead. I didn’t have money to put a headstone on the grave, but Mr Thompson gave me a rose bush to put there. I don’t know what to do. Can you come to the city and help me.

Your loving daughter,Matilda

But he didnʼt come. Matilda had to go and find him.

She packed her bag with the few things she owned and went to the hospital to say goodbye to Tommy who was still there recovering.

Tommy said that she couldnʼt go - it was so far away that it was beyond the black stump.... But she needed something that was her own - and the only thing left was a father.... she had to go and find the “golden man”. She knew she had to catch a train. She hadnʼt paid the rent so that she would have enough for her fare to Drinkwater where he lived.

Matilda leaned over and kissed Tommyʼs cheek and left.


Chapter Five

There were very few people on the train. She slept as the train travelled. She dreamt of happy times when she lived with her Aunt Ann. When she woke up she saw that the countryside was new and unfamiliar. There were tall white trees with giant trunks and the land became drier and drier. She saw a mob of kangaroos. She saw sweeping expanses of land. It was all so big; so different from the neat little house of her Aunt with its garden of roses and other flowers.

Finally the train reached her stop and when she got off the train she was hit by the heat and the flies. A man got off with her. He was not friendly, a very serious man. A very well-dressed lady and a little girl about her age got off too.

There was a horse and dray to meet serious man. His name was Patrick OʼReilly and the men who met him had been drinking alcohol. No-one was there to meet Matilda. Should she wait with the lady or try to get a ride with these men?

She decided that she had better ask the men for a ride. She went across the tracks and asked if they could take her to Moura, the home of her dad, Jim OʼHalloran. The men were surprised they knew her dad but didnʼt know he had a daughter. But they were all union men and her dad was a leader in the union and so they helped Matilda onto the dray.

Before they left a man arrived on a horse - he looked golden and at first she thought it might be her father. He arrived with two boys. They were there to meet the lady and her daughter. His name was Cecil Drinkwater and he was there to meet his sister, but he was late. He had been hunting. His son, James, announced proudly that they had killed an Aborigine. Matilda was shocked - they had been shooting people!

Mr OʼReilly, the man from the train, announced that they had better leave so that they could get to town in time for the union meeting.


Chapter Six

Before they left the mother and child had given Matilda food to eat on the journey to town. She told the men, Mr Gotobed, Bluey and Curry and Rice, her story and why she needed to find her father. She was so tired that she fell asleep and when she woke up it was night time. She was in the wagon outside the Town Hall and the meeting was happening inside.

She decided to go in and find her father - but the room was crowded and she didnʼt know what he looked like. Mr OʼReilly was speaking and he told the unionists that they needed a nation that was one nation, not a country with different states. He said that everyone should be able to vote for their government, men and women. The crowd were excited and cheered.

Then she heard Mr OʼReilly telling her story. He said, “Tonight in slums across our cities children sleep in gutters, work in factories. Today women die without money for a doctor while their children weep, hungry and helpless.”

He told them that this happens while the rich have plum pudding. People like the Drinkwaters.

Matilda was excited by his speech, but then he said he wanted a nation that was free of Chinese and Matilda was saddened. She remembered the kindness of Ah Ching, and left the meeting feeling disappointed. She went outside and sat on the step.

Around the corner came a man who looked like Ah Ching. She smiled at him and said “Qing An”. The man stopped and she explained that she was looking for Moura and her father. The man knew him and agreed to take her to his home.


Chapter Seven

The manʼs name was Doo Lee. He was a market gardner and grew vegetables. He put Matilda in his vegetable cart and they walked and walked. They even crossed a river. Then they went to the Drinkwaterʼs house which was large and beautiful and showed how rich they were.

Chapter Eight

They delivered vegetables to families who were living in houses that were falling down and who had virtually nothing to eat. Mrs Heenan said that she was “past carinʼ “ and ready to give up. Life was too hard. Mr Doo gave the family food to eat without making them pay anything more than just two pennies.

The men in this area were on strike and so they werenʼt earning any money. Some men like Mr Heenan were away from home trying to get a job.


Finally they arrived at Moura, her fatherʼs house. It was a simple house near a creek. She was disappointed. She had hoped for a large house like Drinkwater. Also, there was no-one home. She would have to stay there alone...

Chapter 9

Matilda looked around the house and found that although it was small if was very comfy and neat and clean. She even found some food there and decided to make some soup. She thought about the scary things that might be there like snakes and ghosts, but she had no choice than to collect water from the creek and cook some food.

She missed her Mum and Tommy. She missed Ah Chingʼs kindness. She felt alone. She sat down to do some mending of a blanket when the door was swung open and a man stood there who said: “Who the flaminʼ hell are you?”


Chapter Ten

It was her father ..... and he was nothing special. No glow of gold. Not tall and handsome as her mother had said. Just a man who looked worn out from hard work. He had brown eyes like hers; but black hair. He did look strong though.

She said to him, “Dad?”

“What?”, he said, “Youʼre not Matilda”... and she nodded.

She explained what had happened to her Aunt Ann and then her Mum, and told him she was disappointed that he hadnʼt answered her letters.

He was sad at what she had been through and told her that he hadnʼt received the letters, that Mr Drinkwater had probably kept them since he was responsible for delivering the mail. He spoke to her kindly and she wasnʼt afraid of him, especially when he said, “Your my Matilda”. He sounded like he was really glad to see her.

She asked him if he was sad that her Mum had died. He surprised her by saying that he wasnʼt - that he was happy he was now free.

Chapter Eleven

He explained that he had loved her Mum, but she was unhappy living in the bush and had left when Matilda was tiny to go and live with her sister in the city and that any money he had, he had sent to her. For this reason he hadnʼt been able to expand the farm and do more with his house. Now he would be able to do this when the strike was over. He told her he had tried to forget that he had a daughter as it hurt too much that she was no longer there with him. He told her he was sorry he had let her and her Mum down - very sorry.

He shared with her his dreams for a new Australia that was fairer. Where people got fair pay. He then told her that he had to get away for a while, that Drinkwater was angry with him. He said, “Matilda, my darlinʼ , you canʼt stay here.”


She then told him that she wanted to be with him ... she wanted to go with him. She wanted a safe life with someone who loved her. She wanted somewhere where she belonged.

Chapter Twelve

Before leaving Moura she wrote a letter to Tommy.

Dear Tommy,

I hope you are well and out of hospital with your arm getting better.

I am hoping that Mr Doo will find this letter nailed on the door to the house and send it to you.

Tommy I found my father and I like him. I am going to learn all about being a farmer and raising sheep. I like this better than the city; there is space and thousands of green budgerigars.

Tommy, Dad says that you can come and stay with us. He will have machines to build and you are good at inventing things.

Please take care. I miss you.

Your friend,Matilda

She and her Dad had set off with their swags, their Matildas, which her Dad said was the best friend of a man who was homeless and sleeping on the side of the road. Thatʼs why these men said happily that they were “Waltzing their Matildas”.

Her Dad said that they had to make sure they were off the land of Drinkwater before it got dark. He said that once upon a time he had been friends with Mr Drinkwater, but then Mr Drinkwater refused to pay his workers fairly and wouldnʼt let them join the union. They had had an argument and then a shed had been burnt down at Drinkwater. Matildaʼs dad was blamed, but he hadnʼt done it. But Mr Drinkwater remained very angry about it.


Her dad told her about his dreams for Moura. He wanted to have a very successful farm with employees that he paid well with set wages and set hours of work so that they could spend time with their families and still earn enough to live on.

Finally, they were off Drinkwater land and near a billabong so there would be water for cooking. They stopped and collected wood and set up a camp.

Matilda looked around at the countryside - it was gold not green. It was a hard beauty and she wasnʼt sure if she liked it. Her dad noticed her thinking and he told her, “The landʼll get to you. Floods and fire may come and those you love may leave you, but the land will still be there.”


Chapter Thirteen

It was time to eat, but they had no food. Matildaʼs dad took out some fishing line and caught a giant fish. He then cooked it and it tasted wonderful.

Chapter Fourteen

After dinner they got ready for sleep. Her dad told her he would always be there for her and then turned over and fell asleep. It felt strange sleeping under trees. She heard a wombat and a wallaby come down to the billabong for a drink. She felt good. She felt like she was home.

Matilda went to sleep.

Chapter Fifteen

Matilda woke up to something cold and wet touching her face. It was a sheep, “Baa” it said and Matilda tried not to scream. She had never seen a live sheep before.

Her dad laughed and said that it was a poddy, a sheep whose mother had died when it was very young and had been raised as a pet sheep by someone. Matilda found she could pat the sheep like she had Bruiser, the dog at the factory, and the sheep loved it. She asked her dad of they could take the sheep with them, but her dad said no because they walked too slowly.

Matilda was disappointed. Her dad noticed and said they could get a puppy at the next farm. She was excited - a puppy of her own! Her dad said that it was time for them to set off on their walk - then they heard a noise. It was a horse and on the horse was Mr Drinkwater.


Chapter Sixteen

Drinkwater said to her father, “Have you set any sheds on fire lately.”

Her dad said he had lit no fires except to cook on. Then Mr Drinkwater accused him of stealing his sheep. He fired his gun into the air and three policeman arrived on horseback. Drinkwater told them to arrest her dad. He would go to jail for 3 years. Her father said that he wasnʼt going to go to jail. He bent over and kissed Matilda on the head and then jumped into the billabong and vanished from sight.

Chapter Seventeen

The police waited for him to come up - but he didnʼt. Drinkwater then told them to dive into the water and find him.

When they found him he was dead.

He had drowned by getting caught in some of the reeds in the water.

They dragged him onto the shore and Matilda ran to him. She touched his face. It was cold. She said to Drinkwater, “Make him breathe!”

“I canʼt”, he said.

“You killed my father!” she screamed at him.

“He killed himself”, said Mr Drinkwater. “Iʼm sorry”.

“You know he didnʼt steal your sheep”, Matilda said.

“You need to come with us now.” said Drinkwater

“No”, said Matilda.


“Weʼll be taking your fatherʼs body with us.” explained Drinkwater.

“Iʼll come if you take the sheep”. Matilda said this after thinking for a little while. The sheep would prove that her father hadnʼt stolen its as it had no markings on it to prove who owned it. Also she now had nothing except, as her dad had said, the land. Moura was now hers and she would make her dadʼs dreams come true.

Chapter 18

She road back to Drinkwaterʼs house on his horse. When they got there he took her into a room that had beautiful furniture and told her to wait there. The door opened and the lady who had been at the station came in. Her name was Mrs Ellesmore and she came to tell Matilda how sad she was that her father had died.

Mrs Ellesmore noticed that Matildaʼs clothes were now dirty and she left to go and get her something clean to wear.

When she left Matilda collapsed into a chair just as a boy, James Drinkwater, came into the room. He was very rude to her and told her that servants belong in the kitchen.She told him that she wasnʼt a maid and that his family were thieves.

She said, “Your dad took my fatherʼs life, Isnʼt that stealing? Your father stole this land too. That makes him a thief”.

He did not!” said James.

Matilda said he did, that his father had taken the land from the Aboriginal people and just squatted on it and said it was his.

“Thatʼs ancient history”, said James and he laughed.

Her dad was dead and this boy was laughing. Matilda was very angry.

Mrs Ellesmore returned at that moment and Matilda demanded her fatherʼs swag and then headed off on her own towards Moura. It was a long hard walk home, but it helped her to think about what had happened.

She was very tired when she got there. She took her letter to Tommy off the door and sat sadly at the table her dad had carved so beautifully. Something yellow passed the doorway. What was it - a savage animal? She didnʼt see what it was. She felt so tired and sad that she just sat there and cried.


Chapter Nineteen

Who could she tell about what had happened? Only Tommy. She decided to write him a letter.

Dear Tommy,

I do hope that you are getting better.

My father died. It was sudden. I canʼt write about it - it makes me too sad. However, I have the house and the farm, so I have somewhere to live. You are not to worry about me.

Your loving friend, Matilda.

Mailtda now had time to appreciate how talented her father had been. The house and the furniture had been made well.

Importantly she remembered him saying, “The land will still be there”.

When she went outside in the evening she heard the cicadas singing and it was like they were saying “ we are yours, we are yours, we are yours.”

She felt at peace but she had very little money. What would she do?

It was then that she saw what the yellow animal was - it was a dog. While she was thinking it had come into the house and stolen one of the scones that she had in her fatherʼs swag. She needed that, it was all the food she had to eat.

She chased after the dog. It went up a path and into the hills that were near the house. She thought that this might lead her to the place where her father hid the belongings that he didnʼt want people to steal. She kept following the dog.

Then the dog led her into a cave in which she found a wooden chest. In the chest were lovely cups and saucers and other things her father must have bought to make the house lovely for her mum. But the dog didnʼt stop there, it squeezed through a gap in the wall of the cave and Matilda followed. There she saw what the dog had really wanted her to find. There was an old Aboriginal women, a very tiny and frail women, who was very sick. She said to Matilda, “Help me”.


Chapter Twenty

The woman had had a stroke. Matilda had seen this before. She spoke to the woman and asked if she would be able to get up. The woman replied that she could. This was a relief to Matilda that she spoke English.

She carefully helped her up and with difficulty helped her home to her house to care for her. Matilda bathed her and made her some tea and put her to bed.

The dog went and sat on the verandah to take care of the women in the house. He was now their watchdog. He barked when he saw a wagon coming. It was Mr Drinkwater. He had brought with him the sheep, and some food and clothes.

He made her angry when he suggested that she go back with him to Drinkwater and be a housemaid. She told him that he was insulting her - that she owned the land Moura now and wasnʼt going to be a housemaid at his house.

He said that she couldnʼt stay in the house alone and she replied that she wasnʼt alone that there was someone there with her.... she didnʼt tell him who it was or that she was so sick.

He told her that her fatherʼs funeral would be on the Friday and that he would pay for it. She didnʼt like that, but had no choice it seemed, but then Mr Gotobed and the other unionists arrived and he said that the union would pay for her fatherʼs funeral. He said that, “The union bury their own”.

Mr Drinkwater was annoyed and left, but he said that he would be back.


These men had come to see how she was and to offer their sympathy. It was then that Matilda really cried. She was so sad. The unionists told her she would be alright, that they would look after her. They told her how her dad was a great man because he had started the union in the area.

It was then that Mr Gotobed saw the old lady and he knew her. He said, “Thatʼs Auntie Love.” She was the aunt of Mr Sampson, one of Mr Drinkwaterʼs Aboriginal workers.

When they left she looked at the packages they had brought - there was some lamb chops and a leg of mutton and tins of jam and fruit. Mrs Ellesmore had sent along some lovely dresses and some soap and a hair brush. All of this was wonderful but she knew she would have to find a way to make some money - so that she could do things like post letters to Tommy.

Her aunt Ann had taught her that in hard times she would have to put her “chin up”, and she knew her dad wanted her to be happy and not sad. She would make him proud of her by what she would do for Moura.....


Chapter Twenty-One

This time she was able to write a happier letter to Tommy.

Dear Tommy,

I hope you are well and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit you.

My father didn’t have much money, but soon I shall make some money mending clothes which will be better than working in the jam factory.

I am falling in love with Moura. It is really beautiful here. The cliffs are brown and the dust is white. The kangaroos come and drink at my spring. I have an Aboriginal lady, Auntie Love, living with me. She has a dog who guards us. I like having him around.

When I don’t know what to do I think of what Mum, Aunt Ann and Dad would want me to do - and that helps.

I shall write again soon.

Your loving friend,Matilda.

Auntie Love grew stronger and Mr Sampson came to visit to see how she was. Matilda asked him whether the Drinkwaters had really shot an Aborigine the day she arrived. he said, yes, the manʼs name was Galgumayn - which means younger brother. Auntie Love had found him dead and then had a stroke.

Mr Sampson said that he would come and get Auntie Love and take her home to his place, but Auntie Love emphatically said, NO!. She was staying with Matilda - she said it was “womenʼs business”.

From then on Auntie Love taught her things - how to find yams to make soup and how to weave baskets from grass. Auntie Love helped her to survive. These lessons were what Auntie Love meant by “womenʼs business”.

Even so Matilda sometimes got the impression that there were secrets that Auntie Love and Sampson knew that they werenʼt going to share with her.


Chapter Twenty-Two

In her next letter to Tommy she told him Mr Doo was hiring her to give English lessons to his family and that he was giving her vegetables to make soup and stew. Life was looking better.

Her fatherʼs funeral made her feel proud. Nearly all the town came out and made a long line along the road so that they could pay their respect to her father. There were crowds of people who went to the cemetery. Mr OʼReilly, the union man, spoke about her dadʼs work with the union.

He said, “ Friends, we have come here to bid our last respects to Jim OʼHalloran, a good man, a good friend, a good father, a good union man, brought down by the oppressor. Remember that he started the first union here” and the people replied, “We wonʼt ever forget him!” Then they all sang a union song.

When it was over there was a sort of party that everyone went to. This was called a wake. Matilda had never heard of such a thing and was shocked. People were drinking alcohol after a funeral! Her Aunt Ann would have been shocked and upset.

The crowd were all in the Town Hall eating and drinking when Mr Drinkwater came in. The room went silent - he wasnʼt wanted there. But he said he had an announcement to make. He said that from now on the union would be allowed at Drinkwater - Matildaʼs dad had one the battle ... but it had cost him his life.

Matilda watched the man whoʼd killed her father walk away.


Chapter Twenty-Three

Matilda wrote to Tommy:

Dear Tommy,

My Dad had a wonderful funeral. I cried but it was good to see that so many loved my father, or loved what he worked for. I think I know him better now.

I feel like I have been here forever. The kookaburras wake me up in the morning. Aunt Love is up making tea and cooking damper. She still cam’t use one hand properly or walk properly, but she seems to manage.

Her dog’s name is “ Hey You”. Isn’t that funny.

Your loving friendMatilda

Day after day people came and brought little bits and pieces that would help Matilda to stay and be safe. People were very kind to her. She had never owned so many things in her life. The Heenanʼs even gave her their cow because they had no grass left for it to eat. There had been a drought here for a long, long time.

Matilda was sad for them, but grateful.


Chapter Twenty - Four

She was excited when she next wrote to Tommy:

Dear Tommy,I now have a sheep, a cow and two hens and a rooster and chickens and a dog! Well the dog is really Auntie Love’s but he is with me at the moment.

Mr Doo and his brother have dug a vegetable garden for me and planted it and put in a little channel so that it has water from the spring. I have radishes, spinach, carrots and cabbage, onions and potatoes!

Mr Sampson comes on Sundays and brings flour, tea and meat. There’s lots of work, but I like it. I would like to have many more sheep here - because that’s what my father wanted.

A goanna got in with the chooks and Auntie Love killed it with a rock. She then showed me how to clean and cook it - it tastes like kangaroo.

I am doing very well.

Your loving friend,Matilda

Matilda smiled to herself, what would Tommy think of a girl who wore trousers and her fatherʼs shirts? She was more comfortable in these clothes as she mended fences, milked the cow and chased the sheep.

At times she was a little bit bored because there was no-one her own age, but she was proud too. She had a new garden, some fruit trees and more sheep. One day, to celebrate, she and Auntie Love had made pikelets which were lovely, but what were they going to put on them? Auntie Love led her outside, made her observe closely what insects were around, and then helped her to find a hive of native bees that was full of honey - the pikelets and honey were scrumptious!

That day had been spoilt by the arrival of Mr Drinkwater. He had come to get Auntie Love. He said he wanted to take her to the doctor. Also her had come to offer Matilda money for her property - fifty pounds. She refused and he offered her more, but she still said, “No”.

He then insisted that she tell him who the woman was who was staying with her, but she refused.


Chapter Twenty Five

It was Auntie Love who made the point that she didnʼt want to go with him by stripping off her clothes, everything except a wedding ring, and standing there naked in front of him.

He told Mr Sampson who was there, to take Auntie Love away from the place, but Matilda said it was her land, not his.

He said to Matilda, “You have no idea of who she is.”

Matilda said, “She is my friend and I think you need to go”.

Drinkwater told Sampson to bring Auntie Love to Drinkwater, but he refused.

Mr Drinkwater clenched his fists and angrily said, “Youʼre fired” and he turned and left the house.

Matilda didnʼt understand what had just happened. She felt sad that Mr Sampson had lost his job and his home, because he had built his house on Drinkwater land. Matilda then said that he should move the house to Moura. Then Auntie Love laughed and Mr Sampson laughed and so Matilda laughed. Mr Sampson now worked as a partner with Matilda - he would get half of the profits of Moura.

Chapter Twenty- Six

Matilda received a letter from Mrs Ellesmore. She had realised that she knew Matildaʼs Aunt Ann and that they both shared a passion for getting women the vote. With the letter she sent Matilda some very fashionable dresses that Matilda looked beautiful in, but had nowhere to wear them. She also gave her some proper clothes for riding horses.

While she was reading the letter a large snake slid into the room. Matilda froze, too scared to move, but Auntie Love came in and picked up its tail and smashed itʼs head. It was dead in about 5 seconds. That night Auntie Love made snake stew.

Matilda then went out and helped Mr Sampson with the checking the sheep for fly strike - very bloody and unpleasant work that had to be done so that the sheep would stay well.


Chapter Twenty-Seven

Matilda wrote to Mrs Ellesmore and thanked her for the clothes and told her about the progress Moura was making as a sheep farm with the help of Mr Sampson.

When she finished writing the letter she heard Hey You barking. She was on her own at the house and when she went outside there were two strangers there. They said they wanted food and work, but she didnʼt trust them and neither did Hey You. She gave them a job to do, stacking the wood pile. When they had finished she found they had cheated, they had only done half the work. She was cross. Then she found them inside the house trying to leave with a sack of her belongings. One of the men threatened her, but she remained calm and reminded herself that she had been able to deal with The Push back in the city.

She told the men that Hey You was a vicious dog who would kill one of them if she told him too. They could put the sack down and go, or else try to take her things and one would die. Hey You growled at the men and they decided they had better leave quickly without stealing from her.

Matilda and Hey You had won!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Auntie Love who had arrived in time to see the confrontation, sat Matilda down and made her a warm sweet cup of tea. She was pleased with Matilda.

It was then that Hey You began barking again. Someone else was outside.... but this time it was Tommy.

She ran down to meet him. He had ridden a bicycle out to Moura. It was so good to see him again!

He had a scar that covered almost all of one side of his face. It was red like the jam that had burnt him. It pulled his mouth out of shape. He could still grin at her. She told him how glad she was to see him. She put out her arms and told him this was Moura. She expected him to like what she had built - but he said he had come to save her.


Chapter Twenty-Nine

Matilda asked him, “Saved from what?”

He said, “ From this place, of course.”

She said, “Itʼs beautiful!”

“But”, he said “It ainʼt proper you being here.”

But Matilda didnʼt see anything that wasnʼt proper. In fact she was proud of all she and her father had achieved. She wasnʼt going back to the city.

He said, “You canʼt go around calling natives, auntie. People will get the wrong idea.”

He said if she wouldnʼt go back to the city then he would stay. Mr Doo had offered him a job fixing machines and there was a room in town that he could rent. He suggested that she move into town too and let Mr Drinkwater run Moura ... that really wasnʼt a good thing for Tommy to say.

Matilda lost her temper. She wanted to shake Tommy. But it really wasnʼt Tommy she was angry with, it was Drinkwater, he had written to Tommy and given him the idea.

Matilda said, “The bloody old biscuit!”. Tommy blinked and then laughed, he had never heard her swear before. She blushed and explained that the men in the bush said “bloody” all the time.

Tommy explained that Mr Drinkwater had told him that Matilda would soon have to pay land tax and that she wouldnʼt have the money to pay it and that it would be best for her to rent the farm to him.

Matilda sat Tommy down for a cup of tea with Auntie Love. Then Mr Sampson arrived. It was very tense. No-one was happy, then Mr Sampson mentioned that he would be putting the sheep in a pen for shearing. Tommy said that he had thought of a design for a gate and showed Mr Sampson. Soon the two men were discussing how to make pens, gates and shearing sheds.

Tommy promised her he was going to make her the best shearing shed. Everyone was happy. It was like an extended family. Soon Tommy agreed that this was the best farm in the world - and Tommy decided to stay and help her.


Chapter Thirty

Soon Tommy had made Matilda lots of gadgets that made life easier - he made an iron, a stove and an irrigation system for the farm. He was amazingly inventive. Tommy lent her money to buy more sheep and she paid him back when she got the money for the wool.

It was Christmas time and Matilda made a pudding. Mr Gotobed couldnʼt find a turkey and so they had stuffed swan, and there were potatoes and turnip. It was all good. Auntie Love had made her a necklace from seeds that shone like jewels. She had made Auntie Love an hanky that she had embroidered especially.

The meal went well and they sat and sang Christmas carols together: The Sampson Family, Auntie Love, Tommy and Mr Gotobed. They were happy until they heard horses outside. It was the Drinkwater boys on their horses.

When Matilda went out, James threw a parcel on the ground. He said to her that it was charity from his aunt. Matilda ignored his rudeness and told him to thank his aunt. He was angry because Matilda had told his aunt to tell him not to shoot natives anymore. He told her she would regret it if she said anything like that again. She wanted to yell at them but they had guns. The older boy James spat at her. When they left she was shaking with both fear and anger.

She took the parcel inside and found that they had rubbed dogʼs poo all over the beautiful blue dress that Mr Ellesmore had sent. They had cut holes in the stockings and cut up the lovely soap.

It didnʼt matter she told herself. Nothing the boys had done had touched her really. She would wash the dress and iron it. She would mend the stockings and even the soap could be used in pieces. She wasnʼt going to let James Drinkwater destroy her Christmas.

They thought she was a plain and dirty farm girl, but she owned a farm of her own. She had a house. She had a half share in 116 sheep, a cow, a calf, eight hens and a dog too. They were still spoilt schoolboys.


Chapter Thirty-One

Matilda wrote and thanked Mrs Ellesmore and didnʼt mention what had happened. However, Matilda had no-one to ask about what was proper for a young lady. Mrs Ellesmore was the only one she could turn too. Mr Gotobed and Curry and Rice and Bluey had asked her to go to a dance with them. She didnʼt know if she should say “yes”. But decided that it wouldnʼt be proper.

About this time Auntie Love told her that a fire was coming. She said the seeds in the trees were opening the way they did before a bushfire. Sometime soon there would be a fire.

The next day the smoke came and they had to move the sheep and animals to make sure they were safe. They were lucky they had a creek on their property that still had water in it. She moved the good furniture up into the cave with Auntie Love. Auntie Love told her to keep the woolen blankets and soak them in water, because wool doesnʼt burn easily.

They filled all their buckets and got ready to fight the fire. Tommy came to the farm to help her fight it. The fire came and they fought it hard. Trees just burst into flame, even the ground seemed to burn. They beat the ground with wet branches to put out the embers that we flying off the trees. They fought the fire for what seemed like hours trying to protect the house. She longed for air, for water, for a time of cool and peace... but it went on and it was like she was breathing ash.

Then it happened, the wind changed and the flames were gone. They had won!

But then they all realised the fire was heading towards Drinkwater. He wouldnʼt have expected the wind change and his sheep would burn. Matilda was willing to risk dying to save the sheep.


Chapter Thirty-Two

The land was black. Her feet hurt. She wouldnʼt let herself feel the pain. Auntie Love said they needed to get the sheep down along the river. They split up the Sampsons went to get one lot of sheep; Auntie Love went to get another and Tommy and Matilda took another group. When they found the sheep in the smoke the sheep welcomed having someone telling them which way to go. She and Tommy herded them down to Drinkwater Station and the river. A hundred sheep followed their instructions and they led them down to Drinkwater where the men were making a firebreak. She went to the house and was given a drink and told to leave the fire-fighting to the men - but Matilda said “No, my friends are out there” and she was off ready to fight the new fire front.

Chapter Thirty-Three

She and Tommy lined up together with the Drinkwater employees. She found herself next to James Drinkwater. The fire came and they all fought hard. She worried about the Sampsons and Auntie Love - were they safe or were they dead... she didnʼt have time to think it all through as the flames came. Then in the distance she saw a movement, something coming towards them with sheep, it was Auntie Love under a wet blanket leading the sheep home. Drinkwater ran and scooped her up and carried her to the house for treatment. She would be alright. Auntie Love wouldnʼt go inside the house. She went to the garden and then to the cemetery. There Auntie Love showed her a grave. On the grave it said,

Dorothy Love

3rd September 1848 Then it started to rain. “Grass”, said Auntie Love.


Chapter Thirty-Four

Dear Mrs Ellesmore,

I hope you are well.

Thank you for asking how everyone is after the fire. Auntie Love is resting and Mr and Mrs Sampson are now living with me as their house was burned down. I am fine, I have some burns on my hands, feet and arms.

Thank you for telling me what was in the newspapers in the city. I didn’t know that thirty-six people have died. I am worried that some of them would be Mrs Heenan and her children. Tommy had asked her to leave her house, but she wouldn’t go. He went back to see how they were - but there was no-one there and the house was destroyed. It is very sad, she was past caring.

I must go as there is a lot of work to do to tidy everything up.

Best wishes,Matilda

Matilda was very worried. She had one hundred and forty sheep and there was no grass to feed them. What was she to do? Would she have to sell them all?

And what was she to feed the people in her care? The kangaroos had left, the possums had died. Would they have to live on lizards that Auntie Love would find?

As she was thinking this a wagon arrived. It was Mr Drinkwater and his son, James, who brought with him corrugated iron to repair the damage the fire had done to her roof. They were grateful to her for her work in putting out the fire. They also brought Mr Sampsonʼs horse that they had taken off him when he went to live on Moura, and they brought her a beautiful horse as well. His name was Timber. Matilda thought she would cry.


They had also brought a wagon of food for the horse, sheep and some food for them too. The Drinkwater workers were to come and help with the repairs and also to rebuild Mr Sampsonʼs house. Matilda didnʼt like the way the Drinkwaters were taking over - but she had no choice.

Mr Drinkwater wanted to know how Auntie Love was and was happy that she was recovering. He had brought her apples - her favourite and some fruitcake as well.

Then he left.

Chapter Thirty-Five

April 1896

Dear Miss Thrush,

Thank you for writing to me. I liked going to your school and was sorry when we could no longer afford to have me learn there.

You taught me the importance of a woman being able to express herself. Your work to get women the vote and a position in society is important.

I am grateful to you and the other members of the Women’s Temperance and Suffrage League for sending me Aunt Anne’s household belongings. You have been a good friend to her.

Mrs Ellesmore has been particularly helpful. She has even given me books on raising sheep that have helped us to care for them. We now have 400 sheep and by next year we should have 800 because there are many lambs arriving. They are doing well because we had rain after the bushfire.

Mrs Ellesmore is visiting next week and I have been invited to dinner at Drinkwater. I now have a good horse called Timber that I can ride well, which means I can go over to Drinkwater easily.

I hope that I shall vote well when women get the vote.

Yours sincerely,

Matilda O’Halloran


As Matilda road to Drinkwater she noticed that the trees which had been burnt in the fire a year before were now showing clumps of green growth even though the drought was returning.

She had taken a long time to dress up for this visit. James would be there and this was the first time he would see her in a dress. She had shewn lace on the dress that Mrs Ellesmore had sent her; she had washed her hair and brushed it 100 times to make it silky and shiny - she was sorry she didnʼt have gloves to make herself look like a real lady.

If only her Dad could see Moura ow. “Weʼll get those 2,000 sheep one day, Dad”, she thought. “Only another 1600 to go!”

As she looked in the distance to the hills they looked gold and she loved them ... she had learnt to love the gold her father had told her about. She had forgotten the love of green.

She decided that on the way to Drinkwater she would visit the billabong where her father died. She wanted to hear his voice in her mind say, “Weʼre free, weʼre free!”. But when she got there, the billabong was

gone. She was sad about this and sat on the horse thinking. She came to realise that its disappearance freed her from bearing the burden of hate. “Rest in peace, Dad”, he thought and she rode on to Drinkwater.

The homestead looked beautiful. The cockatoo in the cage was even welcoming as she climbed the steps to the front door. Mrs Ellesmore met her. She had bought Matillda all sorts of new clothes as a gift. Matilda felt like she was turning into the lady that her aunt and mother had wanted her to be.

Mrs Ellesmore told her that Florence was in Europe travelling. Her mother said that she didnʼt like the bush and the heat and flies. James was in Europe too studying farm management and Bertram is working in the bank in London. Bertram and Florence were thinking of getting married.

Matilda was surprised at how disappointed she was that James wouldnʼt be there. However her disappointment didnʼt last long as she went to try on the silk and satin dresses that lay waiting in her bedroom. She loved the feel of the silk, swirling about her, and the lace gloves that hid the roughness of her hands.

She looked at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she had seen herself in a mirror for three years - since she was eleven years


old ... and she had grown taller and matured. It was a young woman who looked back at her. It was a shock to see her fatherʼs eyes in her face. Her hair almost glowed golden against her tanned skin.

When she entered the dining room Mr Drinkwater stood and welcomed her, “You look lovely, my dear”, he said.

Instead of talking about happy things, she found herself talking about her father. She told Mr Drinkwater that he hadnʼt burnt down his shed, that he had told her so and he hadnʼt lied about anything else. Mr Drinkwater agreed that her Dad never lied. Drinkwater said to her, “Matilda, I want you to klnow how deeply ... how every day I regret your fatherʼs death and my part in it...” He went on, “i admire you my dear. You are an amazing young woman.”

He, too, had a present for her - a male sheep, a jumbuck, a ram. He had come all the way from England and would help her farm produce finer wool. She was very pleased.

Chapter Thirty-Six

September 1897

Dear Miss Thrush,

We are fighting for the vote here. I went to a meeting of our local League and was amazed at the number of women there demanding the vote and supporting your petition to the government. We now have 172 signatures!

The sheep have been lambing and Tommy has invented a machine that helps to control the flow of water to the sheep. Water is very precious here because we have had so little rain. I wish I knew how to thank Tommy, he is such a help. he is like the best brother a girl could have.

I shall write again.

Yours sincerely Matilda


Matilda’s farm was doing very well as the numbers of sheep grew, but she didn’t have money to pay the Sampsons and all of her bills for food - as it wasn’t the time to sell the sheep.

They had shawn the sheep and Mr Drinkwater had been good enough to pay for her wool to go to England for sale with his.

Matilda was feeling very lonely. Auntie Love had started going into the bush for periods of time and no-one had dropped by. She missed the company.

It was then that Tommy arrived on his bike. Tommy had come to tell her that he had sold an article on his inventions and that he had been paid three hundred pounds! A lot of money!

Matilda gave him a hug and congratulated him.Tommy had decided that he would use the money to open a shop in the town. He would repair the farmersʼ machinery while he made inventions of his own. Most of all he wanted to build a motor car. He told her how they were building machines like this in the United States and that they could go 30 or 40 miles per hour.

He said it was time to go before it got dark. She told him she would miss him because he would be too busy to come to the farm. He said to her, “You drongo. Iʼll still be out here every Sunday to help out... more if you need me.” Of course she thought, Tommy would always be there. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek... and Tommy blushed.

She told him it would be wonderful and he left.


Chapter Thirty-Seven

November 1898

Dear Matilda,

I am so sorry you have had to sell so many of your sheep because of the drought. You are a courageous young woman.

Yes, I think that even though you aren’t quite seventeen years old yet, you might wear your hair up given you carry so much responsibility.

We are sad that the vote for a federation of Australia failed. The men don’t seem to understand that it is important for us to have a national government instead of just state governments.

Wish Tommy well with his new car.

Your friend,Alice Thrush

Matilda had put on her best dress and asked Auntie Love how she looked. Auntie Love just laughed at Matildaʼs excitement at being invited to be with Tommy at the launch of his new car.

Mr Drinkwater arrived to take her into town. He said that Bertram was home, but James had gone onto South Africa to learn more about sheep farming. She was glad because Drinkwater needed someone who knew farming well to run it after Mr Drinkwater was gone.

The motor car was glorious. It was small, green and beautifully finished. The photographers were there and Tommy was excited. He helped Matilda into the car as the crowd cheered and they drove off.

They were going so fast it seemed. It was exciting. Then there was smoke. The car had caught on fire. Tommy quickly stopped it and helped Matilda out of it. as it burst into flames.They both were safe - but Tommy was devastated. Back at the workshop she watched him work on the car.


He was angry with himself because he might have killed her. It was then that Mr Drinkwater can in and put in an order for an even bigger car from Tommy.... and he said that Tommy could charge him for the parts as the car was being built. This solved Tommyʼs problem, because he had lost all of his money with this car that had been so badly damaged.

On the way home Mr Drinkwater told Matilda that he wasnʼt just being kind to Tommy. He said that one day there would be cars all along the roads, not horses. He also said that he was getting too old for horse and carts and that the car would help him. he told her that the world keeps on changing. However, he said that he had done it because Tommy was her young man and that he approved of him. He knew how to stick at things; he was a dreamer and a dreamer who could make things happen. That Tommy was like both Matilda and himself in that way.

It was then that she asked him if there had once been many Aboriginal people on her land. He said that there were and that they had died from diseases like the measles. She asked him if he had killed any people. He told her that they had tried to kill him and so he had shot people. She said that he had taken their land; he said they were taking his sheep... they had fought and he had won. She pointed out that it was hardly a fair fight, guns against spears.

He told her that what he had done was for the best. Now there were 20,000 sheep instead of kangaroos and other wildlife. That he had created jobs and a town.

He told her that he was the son of ex-convicts. His father had owned a brickworks. He hadnʼt wanted to make bricks and so when he was seventeen years old he had come and squatted on this land. His father had given him two horses, three convicts and 200 sheep to start his farm.

His mother had died when he was nine. His father had married well after that and his second wife had given birth to Mrs Ellesmore.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

May 1899

Florence married Bertram Drinkwater and Mr Drinkwater got his car from Tommy. It had brown leather seats and shiny dark wood finishing touches. However, the most exciting news was that there was to be a referendum to see if the states would join together to become one nation - Australia.

Voting day came and the town was crowded with people, especially near the Town Hall where people were to vote. The women were out the front with a banner that said, “Votes for Women”. You had to be a man and over twenty-one to vote, and people like Mr Doo couldnʼt vote either. There had been lots in the paper about sending people like Mr Doo and his family back to China, a place neither Mr Doo or his wife had ever seen. Matilda had come to be there for her father who had wanted this so much. It was history happening and she wanted to be there to be a part of it.

She went to Tommyʼs shop, but no-one was there. There was nowhere for her to go and she wanted a cup of tea. The Dining Room at the hotel was open and seemed quiet... all the men


were in the pub drinking. She sat down and ordered a sandwich and it was then that she heard it, the people in the pub singing a new song:

“Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda ... down came the troopers one, two, three....”The memory of that last day with her father came back.... and the whole bar was singing the chorus. Theyʼd stolen her most painful, most precious memory and made it theirs.... but they hadnʼt got it right... it wasnʼt a jumbuck and where was she in the song!

She was so deep in thought that she didnʼt hear James Drinkwater approach her.

“Miss OʼHalloran”, he said, “Iʼm James Drinkwater, weʼve met you know. I hope you remember.”

She looked up and saw a handsome young man who seemed surprisingly friendly. She asked him to sit down and they chatted together and laughed together. He told her she was the loveliest girl he had seen since returning to Australia. He asked her to the dance that was to be held that night. Matilda knew that she would have to drive to the house to get a dress with him and then drive home again at night with him. That would ruin her reputation.

He said that she should let him take her to the dance the following week then and you could stay at Mrs Laceyʼs boarding house. Matilda, said that she would go with him one Friday night if they got to know each other better first. He agreed and together they chatted about sheep. He admired what she had done.

Everything was going very well when Tommy arrived. Tommy wasnʼt pleased. James left.

Tommy and Matilda then had an argument about whether Matilda should go to a dance with James Drinkwater, that she was too young. Matilda told Tommy her couldnʼt complain since he had never asked her to a dance.

Tommy said, “Donʼt go”.

“Why?” said Matilda.

“Because I donʼt want you to!” said Tommy.

“That isnʼt good enough”, said Matilda

It was then that Tommy told her what he had given up to be there with her in Gibbers Creek. That there were people making movies, radios, aeroplanes ... that he had stayed there because he thought that she wanted him to stay. If she didnʼt want him then he was leaving ... and he strode out the door.


Chapter Thirty-Nine

Tommy was gone and Matilda missed him. Why hadnʼt she realised that he might be jealous? She had always thought of him like an older brother, not like a potential husband.

She was angry that he had felt this way but had never even told her she was pretty, instead he had always teased her. Then she remembered his scars and how he had been reluctant to let her touch him. Maybe that was why he didnʼt take her dancing. But that was silly she thought, because when she looked at Tommy she didnʼt see his scars, but his intelligence and kindness.

Tommy was her friend and it was impossible to imagine a life without him... but she needed someone to tell her she was beautiful.

Chapter Forty

June 1899

One day she had just dome in from the farm when she found James sitting on her porch. She invited him in and he admired the chairs that her father had made and told her that her father had been Drinkwaters best manager. That he had left Drinkwater to manage Moura. He told her that her father was a clever and proud man, he was always reading - or arguing with Jamesʼ father.

She and James went for a ride together. She changed into her riding clothes and a straw hat and he said she looked beautiful. He took her to parts of Drinkwater she had never seen before. Eventually they stopped and sat under a tree and ate fruitcake and chatted.

He told her that he loved her rough hands because, although most women had smooth hands they were hands that had done nothing ... her hands had created a farm. She thought how beautiful he looked.

He told her that England could never be home because it was “too soft, that you canʼt see the bones of the land like you can in Australia”. He reminded her of her dad.

He thanked her for being company for his father while he and Bertram were away and asked her to the dance. She accepted. On the way back they saw a flock of emus making their way to the river so that they could survive the drought. James told her they would be killed.


Chapter Forty-One

Matilda and James were the talk of the dance. Everyone was watching them as they swirled their way through the dances, but really James and Matilda wanted to talk to each other and so they left the dance floor and found themselves talking about Gibberʼ Creek over a cup of tea and scones with apricot jam.

James felt that most people are like sheep - they like to be led. Thatʼs why he like Matilda, because she was like his family, they were doers. Matilda noted that not many girls get a chance to do what she had done. She had the opportunity and she had no choice. He argued she did have a choice, that she could have said “yes” to being a housemaid at Drinkwater and taken the easier path.

Matilda was enjoying the conversation until the band started to play “Waltzing Matilda”. It made her think about whether she should be sitting there having fun with the son of the man who had killed her father; but she suddenly realised that, although Drinkwater had done the wrong thing, he had not meant to kill her father. She thought about all that Mr Drinkwater had done for her and realised that he had now become her friend.... a good friend.

James took Matilda outside so that she wouldnʼt have to hear the music and be troubled by her memories. He said to her that she was an incredible girl, that not one in ten million could do what she had done on her own with just a few natives.

She reminded him that those natives knew more than she ever would know. He commented that, “Natives can be good workers. But they need someone to keep them under control or they go walkabout on you.”

Matilda wondered how she could explain to him that she had never had to give Mr Sampson an order and that he had more knowledge of sheep in his little finger than she would ever know; that Auntie Love could understand the land like a minister reading from the Bible. But she realised it was a waste of time and changed the subject.

He told her how he love Africa with its amazing animals - elephants and thousand of impala - he said he missed them, he missed the colour. He said that part of him wanted to stay. He wanted to tell the Boers that they were a part of the British Empire now. He said that he had made good friends there, but needed to come home because his father was now in his seventies and getting too old to run Drinkwater. But once he got home he knew that he loved this


place and that it was part of him and he was a part of it.

He then turned to her and told her seriously that on the day that she had arrived they had not been shooting natives. She doubted him and asked him, “Truly?” and he said, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” And together they went back into the dance.

That night James said to her, “I wonʼt do anything to hurt you. Ever. I promise you. You are far too precious”.

After the dance, as Matilda lay in bed, it was those words that she clung to... she was far too precious. She was wondering did he mean that he might marry her. James was the eldest son, Drinkwater would be his, then it would be hers too ... and fatherʼs grandchildren would own it. It would complete her dreams.

But Matilda knew that James had lied to her. She remembered Mr Sampson telling her that Auntie Love had found the body of her relative dead after the shooting. She knew that Auntie Love and Mr Sampson kept secrets from her, but they never lied. James lied and lied so easily. She needed someone to talk to, she needed Tommy.

She went to his shop to find him, but it was closed and there was a sign saying that Tommy had left. She remembered him saying, “Thereʼs nothing for me here.” Should she go to the city for Tommy? She saw the red sun rising above the horizon and knew the answer was no, this was where she belonged. She remembered Aunt Ann telling her that a woman had a third choice. She could live alone. Men needed women, but women do not need men.

But Matilda knew in her heart that what she wanted was children, to teach them what she had learnt about the land; to teach them to love the land. She found herself saying, “Heʼll come back. He has to come back. I donʼt need to make a decision now.”

It was good to know that she had choices. The reason she had choices was because she, thanks to her Dad, owned the land.


Chapter Forty-Two

James picked her up in his motor car the next morning. Her told her she looked golden somehow, like there was a glow around her.

He drove her to Drinkwater. They were to have lunch with his father and aunt, it was Cecil Drinkwaterʼs birthday. She felt special as she went up the steps of the property of which she might one day be mistress. The bird on the step said, “Scratch Cocky” and she wished she could free it, but James said that it would die if it were set free.

She had thought it would be a lovely surprise for Mr Drinkwater to see her with James - but he was VERY displeased. He said that as much as he valued Miss Oʼ Halloran as a neighbour he would not have her attending dances with his son.

James, in turn, was VERY angry. He told his father that he intended to marry Matilda. His father said that he wouldnʼt give permission for them to marry. Matilda insisted on being taken home.

As they drove back to the house Matilda realised that what hurt her most was Cecil Drinkwaterʼs reaction... that she wasnʼt good enough for her son. She told James that he should have spoken to her about marriage before announcing it to his father. She realised that she couldnʼt say to James, “I love you and I want to marry you.”

When they reached her house, James leaned over and kissed her. It was her first kiss and she wanted it to last forever. He stood back, touched her cheek and said, “I love you. I think Iʼve always loved you. A woman who can stand by my side in face of fire or drought.”

She responded, “and I love you too.” She realised she loved his strength; the way he stretched out under a tree; the way he laughed; the way he made her feel when he told her she was beautiful.” But it wasnʼt the whole truth. She loved him, but not quite all of him. Was loving most of him enough to marry him?

He told her he would see her the next day and kissed her again.


Chapter Forty-Three

Matilda wrote to Tommyʼs mother telling her that she was sorry about the argument and that she was really grateful for everything that Tommy had done for her. She asked her to tell Tommy this.

Overnight she had decided to tell James that she wasnʼt ready to marry him, that he would need to wait at least until after Christmas. But when the car arrived at her house it wasnʼt James, it was Cecil Drinkwater looking for James.

Drinkwater told her that he could never approve of her marriage to James. He said that they were wrong for each other. He told her that if James married her that he would lose Drinkwater - he would give it all to Bertram.

“You stupid old man!”, she said to him. “Bertram is a slug, he doesnʼt even like the bush. Itʼs in Jamesʼ heart. You canʼt give the land to someone who doesnʼt love it.”

Drinkwater said that was exactly the point and that James would know what he needed to choose. He asked Matilda if it was the money she wanted.... she was shocked and ordered him out of her house. He apologised - but she didnʼt want to hear it.

Chapter Forty-Four

My very dear Matilda,

It seems I am always apologising to you, but I am sorry about my behaviour and my father’s.

The important thing is that I love you and have no intention of giving in to my father. I am going to stay at a friend’s house until father calms down. In the meantime I hope you will wear this, it belonged to my mother’s mother.

Yours always,James.

James had sent her his grandmotherʼs ring, it was gold with a beautiful blue sapphire. It was a bit loose, but it fitted well enough for the moment.

It was then that Mr Drinkwater arrived. She made him a cup of tea and felt sorry for him, he looked so old and tired and sad; but she made sure that he saw the ring she was wearing.

As he left she begged him to do the right thing. He said that he was, she just couldnʼt see it.


Chapter Forty-Five

July 1899

Matilda kept on writing to Tommy, but he didnʼt reply. His mother didnʼt reply. She missed him. She had never felt so alone.

James, however, had written every week. He told her he had to ride 50 miles each Saturday to catch the mail.

One day Auntie Love returned. There she was when Matilda needed her most. The valley felt right again with her there.

One cold winterʼs day when she was out working she heard a noise - it was a bicycle coming up the track. Happiness, as pure as sunlight poured through her. Tommy looked different, all dressed up, but he was somehow the same.

She ran to him saying, “Tommy, Iʼve missed you so much”.

He told her he had set up a place of his own. She asked him to come in, but he refused. He said that he had just come to see that she was alright. He had heard in the town that she was engaged to James. She told him that she wasnʼt engaged - but she was wearing the ring.

He told her that if ever she needed him she could write to his Mum and then he was gone. She remembered what her father had said, how he wanted to plead with her mother to stay; to kneel in the dust as he watched his wife and daughter leave - but he hadnʼt because it was best for them. It was best for Tommy to follow his dreams. Instead she stood and watched him get smaller and smaller.


Chapter Forty-Six

August 1899

James had become depressed because his father hadnʼt changed his mind and so he had moved to the city to be with Bertram and Florence.

One day Matilda asked Auntie Love if she had loved her husband. She had immediately said, “Oh, yes”. She told Matilda that love is good, but that it hurts sometimes too.

She asked Auntie Love if her husband had died, like her baby. She told her that when her baby died she had to leave. That she couldnʼt stay where people had died, because you have to let their spirit be free. That she had left Drinkwater because her baby had died.

Matilda wondered if the Drinkwaters had killed Auntie Loveʼs husband too.

Matilda asked Auntie Love where she went when she went away. Auntie Love said that this was her home. Then she took Miranda outside to teach her some womenʼs business. She taught Miranda how she “disappeared” by becoming like the land. Matilda thought “I am here, but not here ... I am a rock, a tree ... and no-one could see her except Auntie Love.

Had Auntie Love been with her all along?

Chapter Forty-Seven

My very dear Matilda,

I have just discovered that Bertram has stopped my letters from getting to you. He said it was his duty to father.

Bertram now has a black eye.

I write to say that I cannot settle. I need to do something and so I am going to South Africa to fight in the Boer War. Don’t worry about me. This time next year we shall be together again.

Till then I am your adoring, James.

What would she do now? She was furious with him and with herself, “I love you! How could you go?” she said to herself. How dare he desert her like this.


Then Cecil Drinkwater arrived. He had heard that she had a letter. He had heard from Bertram what had happened. He read her letter and his eyes closed in pain. He was an old man who had lost his son forever perhaps.

He thanked her for letting him read the letter. She promised to let him read any others that came.

Christmas came and there was no word from Tommy.She had sent one to him.

Cecil Drinkwater wrote and invited her to have New Yearʼs Eve lunch with him. They ate roast duck and spoke about farming.

Before she left she asked him why he was still being kind to her when he could be very cruel. He just said that she wouldnʼt understand and leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He said may the year bring rain and a new nation. She kissed him back and left.

Chapter Forty-Eight

September 1900

She received letters from James who seemed to be enjoying fighting in the war. She showed his father all of the letters she received. The letters were good because they took them away from the casualty lists that were in the newspapers showing how many had died.

She found that she had started to think of herself as married to James and running Drinkwater. It was easier to love James when he was away than when he was with her.

It was on one of these days that Auntie Love took Matildaʼs hand . She was so frail now. Her hands were like the bones of a little bird. Matilda went with her to the cave where she had found her. Hey You followed them.

Auntie Love took her to a room in the cave the entrance of which was hidden from sight. Matilda saw a room whose walls shone with light, it turned the tiny cave to gold. On the wall in front of her were handprints, hundreds of handprints, thousands perhaps. As she watched


Auntie Love bent down and put her hand in the mud and then pressed it against the wall. She nodded and asked Matilda to do it too and she did.

Auntie Love led her outside and as they looked over the valley she told Matilda that rain was coming. Not now, but after three winters it will come. It will be good rain and the dry would go.

Auntie Love took her hand and led her down from the cave to the plain, the flat land that led away from the river. Auntie Love looked at her and stroked her cheek and smiled at her. You stay she said and started to walk off. Matilda wanted to cry and say, “Donʼt go. Donʼt leave me alone.” But she couldnʼt speak. Auntie Love had little strength left, just enough to do what she had to do now. Matilda watched her go, she wanted to go with her, but she couldnʼt disobey her wishes. She stayed there and waited and wept. As the afternoon came to an end Hey You returned alone. Her tears wet his fur, then she got up to go home. Hey you followed her now that Auntie Love was dead.

Chapter Forty-Nine

January 1901

The new nation of Australia was born. The people celebrated. According to the papers there was a choir of 15,000 children singing at the official announcement.

Matilda hadnʼt gone to the town for the celebrations at Gibberʼs Creek. She felt she couldnʼt go alone. She was so alone now - no Auntie Love, no Tommy and no James. Hey You was her only company.

She felt like she spent her whole life waiting - for James, for Tommy, for rain.

She decided to go and see Patricia Doo who suggested that she join the womenʼs sewing circle, it was a chance to become a part of the community. Patricia said that she went, not because the women wanted her there - but because she needed to do it


for her children; she needed for the community to accept Chinese people. Matilda agree to join her at the sewing circle. They were both outsiders who needed to belong.

On the way home she started to think about what it would be like if James and she married and they only had Moura. She remembered Auntie Loveʼs prediction of rain. She decided she would buy up all the land she could around Moura as people were selling cheaply because of the drought, and she would turn Moura into one of the largest farms in the district. She would be twenty-one in the next year and able to buy land. In three years she would be rich and she would do it with the help of James.

Chapter Fifty

January 1902

Over the past two years Matilda had bought the land Moura was now 1,500 acres in size - a large property. She was now planting wheat as well as raising sheep. However she was worried. She hadnʼt heard from James for some time.

One day a rider came from Drinkwater. He told Matilda that she needed to come straight away as Cecil Drinkwater had collapsed and they thought he might die.

When she arrived at the house she ran into the parlor where Mr Drinkwater lay. He could barely breath and his face was white, he held his heart to explain that his heart was hurting. He pointed to a newspaper cutting on the table. She took it and read:

At 6am Australian Lieutenant James Drinkwater of the Cabineers was shot by firing squad after a sentence of death was proclaimed by a British High Command Court Martial for having shot two Boer officers who had surrendered.

James was dead!

Drinkwater had pleaded not guilty to all charges and that he was following orders, that all rebels in British uniform were to be shot.

Australian Prime Minister Barton has sent a telegram to the British High Commission expressing his outrage.

Matilda wanted to run to the river and scream. She wanted to show the world the pain she felt inside, but she couldnʼt ... but the tears ran down her face.

It was then that she saw the letter he had received. It was from Bertram. He said that he no longer wanted to have anything to do with the name Drinkwater. He said that Jamesʼ actions had brought shame on the family. He had decided to change his name to Ellesmore to ensure


that he wasnʼt associated with his brother. He wanted Drinkwater sold and Cecil to come and live with them.

Matildaʼs hands shook with anger as she read the letter. Cecil Drinkwater told her to tear it up and burn it. She told him that she thought that Bertram was a cockroach and that she believed that James could not have been guilty... although deep down she wasnʼt sure.

She sat with Mr Drinkwater until he was breathing more easily. He said to her that he needed her to stay. He needed her to run Drinkwater. She couldnʼt let him down.

Chapter Fifty-One

March 1902

Matilda wrote to Mrs Ellesmore and told her that Mr Drinkwater would be staying at Drinkwater and that his health was improving .... he would not go to be with Bertram.

She nursed Drinkwater and told him that he needed to be grateful that he was alive and there was much to do. She told him that James died, as her father had died, because there wasnʼt any justice to protect him... the law had not protected them.

Drinkwater explained that he needed her there not just as a manager, but as a partner. It would be the same arrangement that she had with Sampson ... she worked with him to run Drinkwater and she could share the profits.

She said to him that she didnʼt always agree with Mr Drinkwaterʼs methods and that there would be disagreements. He said that he would look forward to them.

She told him that his men wouldnʼt like it. Drinkwater said that was her challenge to make them accept it. She said she would only do it if she could make Mr Sampson her foreman. He said if she could get the men to accept a native in that role he wouldnʼt argue.

And the men didnʼt like it. Mr Farrell, the Drinkwater foreman, told her that they didnʼt need her or Sampsonʼs help, that his men would manage without her. Matilda asked him directly, “ Mr OʼFarrell are you prepared to work for me or not?”

He said, “No, Iʼm not takinʼ orders from no native either. And neither will my men,”

Matilda said, “I am the boss, so do you stay or go.”.


He said that he was staying, but on his conditions. Matilda told him he was sacked, to pack his things and be gone by lunchtime. Anyone else who couldnʼt accept her and Mr Sampson should go too.

Many left, but enough stayed.

Chapter Fifty-Two

There was a letter from James.

Dear Matilda,

By the time this reaches you, you will know I have died. I know that I can trust you and father not to believe the bad things they are saying about me.The two men I shot were terrible people. They had shot a friend of mine, and they had tortured him first.

I acted on orders. Please tell father that I can only write one letter and I needed to write to you. Tell him I am sorry for the argument, but tell him I could never regret choosing you to to be my wife.

As they shoot me I shall be seeing you among the trees of Drinkwater.

All my love, my darlingJames

The next day she went into Gibberʼs Creek to order the equipment she wanted to make the changes that needed to be made at Drinkwater. The townʼs people had heard about what had happened at Drinkwater and they werenʼt friendly. She didnʼt know how she was going to cope unless she found more men. It was then that her old friends, Mr Gottobed, Curry ʻn Rice and others they had brought with them, arrived. It seemed her father was still looking after her. These men would work with her and Sampson, because they would support their union friends.

Fifty-Three

June 1902

Matilda received a letter from Miss Thrush excitedly telling her about the celebrations because Prime Minister Deakin had given women the vote in the next elections. Matilda could now vote.


Matilda had convinced Drinkwater to give her more money to expand Moura even more. She discovered that he had made his money when Auntie love had told him the rains were coming in the 1840s and he trusted her. He had no doubt she would be right this time too.

It was in this conversation that Matilda found out that Cecil Drinkwater had been married to Auntie Love. He showed her a sketch of Auntie Love on her wedding day.

He told Matilda that she had left him after their daughter died. It all made sense to Matilda now. He said he had tried to find her. He waited for years, but she didnʼt return. He had then married Margaret, James and Bertramʼs mother. She died while giving birth to Bertram.

He said that Love was his one true wife. There had never been anyone like her. He had tried to make her into an English woman, but she had resisted. He said, “I loved her, and thatʼs why I called her Love. It half killed me when she left.”

Matilda asked him how he could still go on shooting natives. He said because they werenʼt like Love - she wore dresses.

Chapter Fifty-Four

June 1903

Matilda was still writing to Tommy. She knew it was foolish, but she needed someone to talk to, even though she had nowhere to send them. She travelled to the city for Miss Thrushʼs wedding and went to the old places - but everything had changed and there was no sign of Tommy. It hurt that he had never written, but it hurt also to know how much she must have hurt him.

Hey You had been utterly faithful to her, but he died and she lost another connection to what had been happy times.

To occupy her she continued to buy more and more land and sheep for Moura and Drinkwater, even though it was the hottest and driest year. But Matilda knew it would rain. She had seen some changes - the creek was flowing and the birds had returned to nest. It would rain - she was sure. And when it came there was hail and then heavy, heavy rain. The world was simply water. The river flooded and still it rained.


Grass grew overnight and then there were flowers. The land was rich masses of yellow daisies and pink flowers and green moss. She took Mr Drinkwater to the verandah to watch the changes. It was a gift from the land, the sky and from Auntie Love.

Chapter Fifty-Five

December 1906

One morning Mr Drinkwater had found an article in the newspaper. it said:

Inventor and businessman Mr T. Thompson and Mrs Thompson attending the demonstration of the new life saving reel for Bondi Lifesavers.

It was a young woman in the photo with Tommy and she had her arm clinging to his. Her Tommy was no longer hers. When she looked closely at his wife she saw that she loved Tommy and that she was a good wife and a suitable wife for an inventor. Tommy was hapy, that was what mattered.

Drinkwater said that it was a pity, that Tommy and Matilda would have been good together.

The rain brought other problems for the farm that she needed to resolve - like rabbits. This would keep her busy.

Also there was a new young man who was a fencer. He took a liking to Matilda and flirted with her. It was a pleasant distraction, but nothing she took seriously - even when he asked her to the dance... she had Mr Gottobed and the men come to the dance too.


Chapter Fifty- Six

February 1910

It was about this time that Bertram and his wife arrived for a visit unexpectedly. They drove up in their fancy car with chauffeur. They had brought along their two little children, a boy and girl. It was not a pleasant visit. They were very rude to Matilda and made it plain that they were there to ensure that Cecil Drinkwater was going to live the Drinkwater farm to them.

Cecil Drinkwater asked the little girl Ellen if she would like to be a farmer. She said that she wanted to drive an engine. The little boy, Cecil, said that he wanted to fly aeroplanes. Mr Drinkwater said that there would be enough money for them to drive engines and aeroplanes, but the farm was Matildaʼs. He said that he had already sold it to her.

When they were alone Mr Drinkwater told Matilda that she was his family and she cried.He told her that he would sell it to her at a price she could afford, that he wouldnʼt put it in his will because Bertram would contest it. He wanted Drinkwater to be hers.

He said that even if James were alive he wouldnʼt let them marry, but she was closer than any daughter could be.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

August 1913

Matilda while she was on the verandah with Mr Drinkwater, who was becoming more and more frail, opened the door of the cockatoos cage and let it out. Drinkwater said it would be killed, but Matilda believed he would fly away with the next flock of cockatoos.


Chapter Fifty - Eight

September 1914

By this time Cecil Drinkwater needed to be in bed. He was not strong enough to move out of his bedroom. is memory was beginning to go too. Matilda often sat with him.

His last instruction to her was to look after his land and she promised to. She held his hand as he died.

Mr Sampson came to say that he was sorry. He sat with Matilda and told her that there were things she needed to know. She needed to know that she was Auntie Loveʼs great-granddaughter. Her father had been Auntie Loveʼs grandson. Cecil Drinkwater had been her fatherʼs grand- father. That meant that James had been her half- great uncle.

Mr Sampson, whose boys were going to fight in the war. told her that her fatherʼs mother had been Auntie Loveʼs eldest daughter Rachel. She died when her father was born. She had been married to a farm worker names OʼHalloran. When his mother had died, the father had left and Mr Drinkwater had brought her father to Drinkwater, but it was Mr Sampsonʼs parents who had raised him.

Now that Cecil Drinkwater was dead she had a need to do what was right. She knew that she didnʼt own the land - the land belonged to itself. It was theirs to live with, to work and to cherish. She wanted to see the yam daisies flowering after rain. She wanted to see the trees growing. The sheep ate them both. She would take the majority of the sheep off the land. She would let the kangaroos and emus run free. She would let the land have a rest from sheep and grazing.

She was alone, but not lonely. She understood what it meant to belong to the land. She would never be lonely again.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

November 1915

As she ate her scrambled eggs and wondered at how the vegetation had grown without sheep to nibble at it, a car came up the drive. There was a well-dressed man and a little girl in the car.

It was Tommy.

He was thirty-six now and she thirty-three. His face looked stronger, quieter and somehow more himself.

The little girl excitedly asked her if she were the lady in they had learnt at school. Matilda nodded. Tommy introduced the little girl as Anna.

Tommy told her that his wife and his young son had both died the year before. Her name had been Mary and she was a gentle woman. He had been married to her for a year before he heard that James had died.


Together they chatted. He told her that he had made quite a bit of money in radios. he said that he had come to help while the men were at war.

She told him that she didnʼt need that sort of help any more ... but she wanted him to stay.

Tommy asked for how long.... she said “Forever, if you want.”

Suddenly she saw what marriage might be like: not two people sharing one life, managing a farm together, but two lives. She looking after the farm and Tommy running his business from Drinkwater. It would be two lives linked in love and trust. She could take Anna to put her hands on the handprints in the cave - would she like it?

Matilda got up and asked him to dance with her ... and together they danced as Anna played “Waltzing Matilda” badly on the piano.


a waltz for matilda summary - 9goldenglish · it was very dark when she left for work and she was...

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