This story ends when Caroline returns to England. But that was not the end of her good works. She achieved her goals in England and came back to Australia. She worked for many years to improve conditions on emigrant ships and the lives of new settlers in Australia. She didn’t care what race or religion they were. When she was older, she fell ill and moved back to England. She was never interested in making money, so she was quite poor at the end of her life. She died in England in 1877, at the age of sixty-eight.
Caroline Chisholm was strong, kind and brave. When she saw the problems that so many immigrants faced, she cared enough to do something about it. She was also smart enough to work out solutions, and strong enough to make those solutions happen.
People knew her as ‘The Emigrant’s Friend.’
Why did you work so hard to help immigrants?
My mother taught me that it was important to take care of people who were in need. I always believed that I had a purpose in life, and that purpose was to help people.
What was the hardest part of your work?
Leaving the children. I couldn’t keep them with me when I was working in the city; it was too dangerous. For a long time, I only saw them on weekends. It was very hard.
What was it like being a woman in the 1840s?
Well, it was a lot harder in some ways than it is in your time! We couldn’t even vote, for goodness’ sake. A lot of men didn’t think that we were smart enough to have opinions on important things. That was really frustrating! Luckily, my Archibald wasn’t like that; I made sure that I married a man who would respect me. But women had it tough. Men did too, you know. Many things that you take for granted just didn’t exist then. Like cars and washing machines and computers and fast food and electricity and freezers and air conditioning and Netflix. Hard times. (And don’t get me started about the clothing we had to wear.…)
What do you think about having your picture on the Australian five-dollar note?
Five-dollar note? What are you talking about? What’s a five-dollar note?
Jane Smith likes books, history, chocolate and cats. She is grateful to the heroic women in the Carly Mills books who helped make the world a better place.
Carly Mills Pioneer Girl
a groundbreaking time-travelling series celebrating the courage of inspiring pioneering women.
Available at www.bigskypublishing.com.au
Tommy Bell Bushranger Boy - an exciting, award-winning adventure series full of danger, daring and wild colonial boys.
Available at www.bigskypublishing.com.au
