THE P RTAL
December 2014
Joanna Bogle tells us about her new book
Caroline
Chisholm, the Australian pioneer
heroine, mentioned in the November Portal, was a remarkable
woman and someone of whom Britain should be very proud.
The Emigrants’ Friend
Auntie Jo a n
More about
Caroline Chisholm
Page 4
na
the soil (she
She is honoured in Northampton where there was a farmer’s
is a large Catholic secondary school named after d a u g h t e r ) ,
her, and in London where a blue plaque marks her published a recipe book based on her own experiences
house in Charlton Terrace, Islington. Known as “The of bush cooking, was a superb rider, and had the
Emigrants’ Friend” she was a well known figure in the unusual gift of being able to find water in dry places Britain of the 1860s, a friend of Charles Dickens and hugely important in Australia.
a hard-working and large-hearted leader of a great
campaign helping many impoverished families find proud to be descendants
On returning to Britain, Caroline worked to help
new hope and new homes in Australia. A Catholic,
she had close links with St John’s church in Islington people who wanted to emigrate. Often, a father would
go ahead to Australia as a “bounty migrant” to find
where the family worshipped every Sunday.
work, but not know how to send for his wife and
Caroline and her husband Archibald had gone to children - Caroline helped to reunite such families,
Australia from India where he was serving with the chartered a ship, and got them safely on their way, and
Madras Infantry, and while they settled comfortably there are families in Australia today who are proud to
with military friends, she quickly realised that there be descendants of “Mrs Chisholm’s children”.
was much misery and distress in what was at that time
The Chisholms also established a fund through
a rather grim colony where many inhabitants had
originally arrived as convicts. But free settlers were which families could save money - often only a penny
arriving from England and Ireland, and there could be a week - towards the fare to Australia, and be helped
a bright future if only people were prepared to work by a loan, which they would then pay back after having
settled in Australia and made good. There were many,
together and help.
many such settlers whose stories were then read aloud
the matchmaker
at “Mrs Chisholm’s meetings” in Islington and who in
Caroline’s first projects were for the young women turn were glad to help others.
who arrived from Britain seeking work, and often
seeking a husband or fiancé who had been sent out
The Chisholm home in Islington had a room fitted
as a convict. They had nowhere to live and were out as a ship, to show people how to cope with the
often forced into immorality simply to survive. After long journey, and her meetings included practical
some struggles with bureaucracy, she succeeded in information on what to do on arrival, and life on an
obtaining use of an old barracks which she turned into Australian farm.
a welcoming centre and home - and from where she
ran a successful job agency, placing girls with families
Caroline and Archibald Chisholm are buried in
who were glad to have an extra pair of hands to help the Billings Road Cemetery in Northampton. She is
with children and cooking and housework.
a figure who unites Britain and Australia, a convert
to the Catholic Church, a patriot, a loving wife and
Things began to thrive, and a particular joy was mother, and someone who knew about coping with
the number of weddings - she became well known hardship and overcoming problems, and had a great
as a matchmaker and at one stage noted that she had trust in God. A good patron for the Ordinariate!
received 51 pieces of wedding-cake from happy brides.
She led wagon-trains out to new settlements, carried
Caroline Chisholm, The Emigrants’ Friend,
out a detailed survey of which crops were best suited to
is published by Gracewing, £9