11 Ruby Road 1900 by Charlotte Barkla

Beginning briefly in 1860, this book introduces Ruby Road in South Brisbane just as it is colonised with European-style housing. The majority of this book though follows the McIntyre family 40 years later as they establish a small business in Ruby Road. Most of the book though follows their six daughters, and particularly the feisty Dorothy, as she navigates life in 1900 in a rule-oriented and patriarchal society. Dorothy is not inclined to love the rule-based authority of school and would much prefer to climb trees and pursue her love of story-writing, and maybe even an acting career. She dislikes the more feminine pursuits of needlecraft, cooking and mastering penmanship with neatness and so wins the ire of her strict teacher. Dorothy has pluck!  She is not a conventional girl from the 1900s, she also does not understand why girls and women do not seem to have the same opportunities as men and so is very supportive of her mother’s suffragist leanings. Her friendship with George (who has Chinese heritage) introduces her to the racist attitudes of the time, attitudes that she cannot understand. Dorothy and George together write and produce a dramatic work that might change the minds of locals to the rights of women.  But time slowly ticks by, and societal change is still a long way from Dorothy’s dreams for the future.

This is a delightful step into history at a time that is so removed from 2024. Children will recognise aspects of history that are foreign to them and will be surprised by attitudes that seem so unfair. In some ways this book is like  My Place by Nadia Wheatley in unveiling change in one location and a little like the Our Australian Girl series in introducing readers to different periods of history. I am assuming that this may be the first book in  a series – it deserves to follow Ruby Street through time. This is a book to enjoy for readers aged 8-11. Although some younger readers will not appreciate the massive social and cultural changes that have occurred since the early 1900s, this book will hopefully give them small insights. Even recreation and play has undergone significant change over the years and young readers may recognise that although school was strict and chores may have been an expectation, there may have been some freedoms that would surprise some contemporary readers. The short historical notes at the end of the book highlight some specific features that the author has used in Dorothy’s story. Note: there is a hint of intrigue in the part played by a dog, who no one else seems to acknowledge. Ghost or authorial magic?

Themes: Australian history – 1900s, Family, Writing, Acting, Suffrage movement – Australia, Racism.

Carolyn Hull