Backblocks Girl

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 6

Backblocks Girl

MRS. JEAN JBOSWELL is not of Waiapoua now, but she comes from that famous forest district, '.-has played beneath the giant kauris ' now doomed to destruction and regretted — on. a recent home visit— seeing the change. A real backblqcks girl was she m her youth, a famous rider and walker, even a fire-fighter on one occasion. Her people had heard that the land had been partly cleared, but when they came, they discovered, that the place was -Still dense scrub. . So, for some years, there were, only nikau whares for the families— no time, even to grow vegetables and fruit. 1 ■'■ The father of the future Aucklander had a strong dislike; to any daughter earning her living and was a perfect Sir Anthony Absolute m his- views'; on the perhiciousriess of novel reading. His girl was fifteen before she read her first work of fiction. . It fired her. own ambition to write, and, during later years, though hampered by ill-health and the care of a family, she placed work "with various Australasian magazines.: , Now she is enjoying— -and helping others to enjoy— public life m the Queen City, being librarian of this society and hori. treasurer, or secretary of that— the Sunshine' Service League, the Howard League for Penal Reform, the. League of Mothers and the Penwomen's Club being only some of the "organizations of which she is a valued member, . . ' 5