Transcript

This is a page from Eliza Shaw�s diary in the Battye Library on microfilm ACC2088A. It was one of her last entries, written only 5 months before the end of her diary, and approximately 18 months before she died in 1877. She was 81 years old and her handwriting is quite hard to read. I have included this page here so readers can see some of the challenges of doing research using original material, and while I have made every effort to transcribe this page there are a number of words that are illegible. These are indicated by [?] and guesses are indicated by putting the most likely word in the brackets followed by a question mark, for example, [Belvoir?].

1876

January 1876

Jan 1^st Saturday Heat terrific began reaping wheat at [Belvoir?] with machine & hands as [well?] Gardiner [?] [?] and [Bisdey] young Nolan [Ferguson?] (young) Johnston to cook for lot up at Mrs [?] ¼ cwt potatoes, 14 lbs onions from Mrs [F?]

[?]At about 11am Mr and Mrs Tom Burges deposited with him documents relative to private business, could not stay except short visit on account of [?] through extreme heat, having an engagement in Perth 7pm and Mrs Burges being not well.

In afternoon [2?] Mrs Hamersley and Mr John Forest[sic] visit of condolence

About sunset Bob from deBurgh

[Cr?] Bisdey and 2 boys [?] the wheat [?] [details about the weight of the wheat difficult to decipher]

Bob from Caversham nearly well

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