Australian boy has reached the age of fifteen or sixteen he is credited
with being able to look after himself, and is trusted to sail a boat and
to carry a firearm. I can remember once on the way down to National Park
(N.S.W.) for the Field Artillery camp, at one of the suburban stations
there broke into the carriage reserved for officers, with a cheerful
impudence that defied censure, a little band of boys. They had not a
shoe among them, nor had anyone a whole suit of clothes. But they
carried proudly fishing tackle and some rags of canvas which would help,
with boughs, to build a rough shelter hut. The remainder of the train
being full, they invaded the officers' carriage and made themselves
comfortable. They were out for a few days' "camp" in the National Park.
For about ten shillings they would hire a rowing-boat for three days.
Railway fares would be sixpence or ninepence per head. A good deal of
their food they would catch with fishing lines; bread, jam, a little
bacon, and, of course, the "billy" and its tea were brought with them.
This was the great yearly festival, planned probably for many weeks
beforehand, calling for much thought for its accomplishment, showing the
sturdy spirit which is characteristic of the young Australian.

All the usual British games are played in Australia: tops, hoops,
marbles among the younger children; cricket, football, lawn-tennis among
their elders. The climate is especially suited for cricket, as it is
warm and bright and sunny for so long a term of the year. On a holiday
in the parks around the Australian cities may be seen many hundreds of
cricket matches. All the schools have their teams. Most of the shops and
factories keep up teams among the employees. These teams play in
competitions with all the earnestness of big cricket. As the players
grow better they join the electorate clubs. In every big parliamentary
division there is an electorate club, made up of residents in that
electorate. The club may put into the field as many as four teams in a
day--its senior team and three junior teams. So there is an enormous
amount of play--real serious match play--every Saturday afternoon and
public holiday. Australia thus trains some of the finest cricketers of
the world. For some years now (1911) the Australian Eleven has held the
championship of the world.

The Australian child of the poorer classes usually leaves school at
fourteen. The children of the richer may stay at school