As I was scanning the second volume of Edward's Diary, the process was slow enough for me to read each page as I went. (Luckily each page is brief.) In doing so I was struck by how well educated and literate he was.
The diary is very readable and he displays a good knowledge of classical history, geography and world events, along with a grasp of French and Latin. His awareness of the Crimean War was also interesting in that at that stage news of events from Europe would take several months to reach Sydney, let alone the far reaches of the colony in places like the Upper Clarence. Obviously he kept himself up to date on such matters.
Clearly Edward was an intelligent man with an enquiring mind. He took advantage of some of the down time on his trip to take lessons in Italian in order to make the most of his time in that country. Just the fact that he made such an extensive trip also demonstrates his thirst for knowledge.
What strikes me though is that from his biographical details, Edward had little or no formal schooling. He arrived in New South Wales at the age of 10, and while he may have had some schooling before leaving England, on arrival it was not long before he travelled with his family to what was then the outer reaches of the Upper Hawkesbury.
There it would appear his education was solely in the hands of his parents Mary and William. It also seems that from an early age he was an active participant in the daily work of their developing property, which while it would have provided much practical education in farming and bushcraft, would have left little time for the 3 R's. It is also likely that both his parents would have had their hands full with the demands of developing a farm in such arduous conditions. That education was a parental responsibility is evident in that other family members happiest reminiscences included evening lessons in such things as Ancient Greek with their father.
While there are home schooled children today who achieve high levels of education, particularly if managed by enthusiastic and academic parents, I am struck by the comparison to modern complaints that rural children are disadvantaged by a lack of access to high quality educational resources. I certainly wouldn't wish to discount the benefits of striving to improve education but clearly Edward demonstrates that there are other factors at work. I guess it is a demonstration of the enduring benefits of parental input and the advantages of a committed, caring family life. Well done Mary and William. You did a good job with the boy.
