Video transcript for Starting the day: 1880s

[Music]

Dianne Robertson:Well back then, students travelled to school mostly by walking, barefooted normally or by pony if they were fortunate, or by horse and cart. We don’t have any transport like we have these days.

Before school they were very busy, they were asked to get up early, they had chores to do. The girls had to do inside the house chores and the boys were expected to do yard chores. So before school they would be up early, girls would be inside dusting, possibly beating the mats, helping with the babies, other children in the house. And the boys in the yard would be chopping wood, getting wood for the fire, collecting some kindling and no doubt possibly the pony would have needed a brush down. They would have had to have done some burning off. Lots of things and even cleaning that chook pen. That was one job I don’t think any of them liked. And the reason they had to do chores was that everybody in the family had to be helpful. Everybody was expected to do their chores and pull their weight as we’d put it these days.

And therefore when they arrived at school they would often come with dirty hands and those hands had to be checked, not only were their hands possibly dirty but maybe their feet, had they walked down that dusty, muddy road. A few things needed to be checked prior to entering the classroom because dirty hands means dirty work, clean hands means clean work.

Straight, alright, come along, follow me. Come along. Over here. Mind your step, up the step, walk to the end of the long bench. Mind your step, up the step. Mind your step, up the step and go to the end of the place. Well done, well done. Young man I’ll get you to slip through this way, along there please facing the front, hands behind your backs. I’m glad you all remembered to have your hands behind your backs and you’re standing up nice and straight. Well done everyone. Now, right boys and girls now we’re standing nice and straight in the classroom, hands behind your back young man. I’m keeping an eye on you. Stand nice and straight, well done.

We’re going to say the oath. That’s what they did long, long ago back in the 1880s. When the children came into class the first thing they did is say the oath. It’s like a pledge, maybe a little poem you might want to call it but we call it the oath because Queen Victoria was the Queen of Great Britain. Although you may not know this I’ll go first and then you copy me. Okay, are you ready? I honour my God …

Students: I honour my God ...

Dianne: ... I serve my Queen ...

Students: ... I serve my Queen ...

Dianne: ... I salute the flag ...

Students: ... I salute the flag ...

Dianne: Well done, hands down. Has anybody noticed something about that flag? Notice something, are there a few stars missing on the flag?

Students: Yes.

Dianne: Yes. Do you know what flag it is?

Students: Australia.

Dianne: It looks a little bit like an Australian flag, it’s the flag of ...

Students: The United Kingdom.

Dianne: Yes, Great Britain, well done. Now boys and girls, we are going to sit down and get onto some work. First of all, number one, carefully pull out the long bench to sit on. Number two put your legs over and sit down and don’t hurt each other, put those legs over. Well done.  And sitting on your bottom, sitting up nice and straight, folded arms, please. Well done. Do you notice it was a bit dark?

Students: Yes

Dianne: Did you notice it’s a bit different? Is your room different to this room?

Students: Yes.

Dianne: You’re probably looking to see if I’ve got a ceiling and I don’t have a ceiling. Do you have a ceiling at your school?

Students: Yes.

Dianne: Oh, my goodness me. Do you have lights?

Students: Yes.

Dianne: Oh, I don’t have any lights. I’ve got a candle. I’ve got some lanterns. Put a lantern here. But we can get some light off the fire. Do you have a fire like this?

Students: No.

Dianne: Oh, so your room is really different to my room. Oh, do you have a map like that?

Students: No.

Dianne: Oh, a fancy board?

Students: No.

Dianne: Well, I’m going to give you half a minute to have a little chat to each other about all the things in this room that are different from your school to my school room. Alright, you can have a little talk with each other about it. Count how many things that are different.