The Clever Competition...(1919). Part One.
Throughout the early years of the Western Australian colony there were many newspapers published. While some like the West Australian, Sunday Times, Daily News and Western Mail were published for many decades, others like the Weekly Guardian and W.A. Family Sphere only lasted a couple of years. Nearly all of the newspapers contained children's pages directed at children.
The W. A. Family Sphere newspaper was published on Fridays from June 1919 to December 1920. The newspaper had a children's corner titled the 'Childland Times'. Children wrote letters about what interested them, entered competitions and won prizes and shared their creative work such as stories and drawings which were published.
The section contained material deemed suitable for children including short stories and riddles and jokes. The section was edited by an adult known as Tiggie Touchwood and the children were known as 'childlanders'. This children's section was different from other children's sections in that the children won money for competitions and had their work published as against other newspapers who rewarded children with books and games or just having the work published and receiving a reply from the adult editor. The newspaper while publishing the names of the children who wrote in, did not publish their address or age and only if they won a competition.
One of the first competitions run by the 'Childland Times' page was titled the 'Clever Competition'. The question asked 'Are Girls Cleverer and Better Than Boys or are Boys Clever and Better Than Girls?' The competition was divided into two sections, those boys and girls aged between 12 and 14 years and the other under 12 years. The winning essays received prize money and consolation prizes of a free copy of the newspaper for three months. The winning essays were published in the newspaper. Many children wrote on a regular basis.
The essays provide a wonderful insight into the daily lives of boys and girls in 1919 and what there expectations were in life. The winning essays of the older children between the ages of 12 and 14 perpetuated stereotypes of women connected to the home, women getting married and raising a family. The expectations of how children spent their time outside of school was clearly defined. The reality was that not all women would get married and have families. In fact many got an education and worked in occupations such as teachers, journalists, nurses and ran businesses. They also bought and owned their own house.
The year 1919 was only a year after the Great War had ended. An interesting point was raised by a child in the winning essay for the under 12 years about the impact of the war and the change in women's roles.
The essay division from ages 12 to 14 years was won by Cecil Trafford of 137 Heytesbury Road, Subiaco.
The articles are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
W.A. Family Sphere, 29 August 1919.
The "Clever" Competition.
The prize winners are: — 1 First Division— Between 12 and 14 Years.
1st Prize:
TRAFFORD CECIL, 137 Heytesbury-road, Subiaco, 6/-
From Trafford Cecil, 137 Heytesbury-road, Subiaco: —
Dear Tiggie Touchwood, the 'Childland Times' is great. I have been in bed with the 'flu, and I read it through ever so many times, until I decided I would have a shot for the prize for the essay 'Are girls cleverer or better than boys, or vice versa?' So here goes:
It is not a hard task to judge which are the best between boys or girls; undoubtedly the palm goes to the girls; in fact, no house should be without one. Some boys only think sisters are good to saw on buttons and give their brothers their pocket money, but they really have more value than that, I think she minds the baby, sews, cooks and helps mother when she is not at school.
All this is of great use to mother, and also to the brothers, for while she helps the boys can go and climb trees, play marbles and tear their clothes for sister to mend. And then, again, how nice and clean girls are always. They never have to wipe the dirt off on the towel, like boys do, and their finger-nails are never in mourning. regards girls being cleverer than boys, you have only to look at their home work books. Oh ! dear, they have no blots or smudges, and never upset the ink, but boys— enough said.
As boys glow older I notice they change their opinions of girls, and it is quite common to see a boy very nice and kind to a girl, generally some other fellow's sister. I have often wondered why, but I suppose I'll know when I'm bigger, but these are the opinions of a mere boy.
2nd Prize:
DOROTHY TEBBUTT, 111 Ocean-road, Cottesloe Beach, 3/-
From Dorothy Tebbutt, 111 Ocean-road Cottesloe Beach:
The question was, "are girls cleverer and better than boys, or boys cleverer and better than girls" Well, I think that boys are cleverer than girls. The boys must be considered cleverer, for they take more lessons at school than girls, and when they grow up they still keep on working so they must be clever to remember their school work. My father knows more school work than mother.
A good many girls think they can leave school and stay home for a while then they can get married and their husbands will keep them. Boys seem to be able to remember the work they have had in lower classes, which I certainly don't. When a boy has a man teacher he knows he must obey, and when it is a lady-he obeys to be polite; and a girl does not mind so much, for they generally have a lady to teach them.
Girls were born to work in the homes, and boys tor office and shop work, for which they need brains. Another good point about a boy is that once he thinks of his profession he sticks to it, and works hard for that one thing; but a girl is always changing her mind.
If my letter happens to be printed I hope girls wont be offended at my opinion of them, but of course it does not refer to every one, it is only generally speaking.
3 rd Prize :
VIOLET MONGAN, State School, Cottesloe, 1/6.
From Violet Mougan, State School, Cottesloe: —
Boys, the name to some girls is as the word 'thief' to a strictly honest person. I am not one of these girls. My ideas run on different lines. Taking the boys all round, we find that they are not as bad as they are painted. A boy is lacking many points which a girl has; for instance, a tender feeling towards creatures suffering. This point is in possession of girls, and is frequently in use.
Now, a boy has a very strong point, and that is his loyalty to his chum. Of course, girls do not altogether lack this point, but their nature is not as that of a boy. There is another point in favor of a girl, and that is the way her heart is touched so-easily, whereas it takes a very, very sad scene to touch a boy's heart.
There is also another point in favor of a boy. When he is strong he generally stands up and openly admits that he did it, whereas a girl of a weaker nature is afraid of punishment ; but there are not many of these sort of girls.
'Are girls cleverer than boys?' you ask. Well, my opinion of the matter is that boys are cleverer in some things (not many) and girls cleverer in others. Judging from the work in class, girls are cleverer than boys. Boys really have more brains than girls, but they do uot use them, as any teacher will tell you. Girls put forth a much stronger effort than a boy.
These, Tiggie, are my opinions of girls and boys. I think you will agree with my reasoning if you see children in the same light as I do.
Second Division—
Under 12 Years.
First Prize:
HUBERT DAVIES, 74 Grant-street, Cottesloe, 6/-
Herbert Davies, 11 years 4 months, of 74 Grant-street, Cottesloe: —
My conception is that boys and girls are similar. The war has taught the world a lesson. It has taught it that iris and women can do work as ably as men. You will generally find that if a boy is good in one subject a girl is good in another. Some girls are very clever at needlework and dressmaking, but some boys are mechanical enthusiasts. The majority of children care for other work.
In England young women used to work on tramcars, they acted as conductors and drivers. They also worked to make munitions, and so took the place of men who were needed to light for freedom. Many women have shown their equality with men both in physical and mental qualities, as instanced in the exploits of Florence nightingale, Joan of Arc, and Grace Darling, aa examples of physical courage. That is my opinion of boys and girls.
2nd Prize :
DOROTHY CRESSWELL, Griver-street, Cottesloe, 3/-.
From Dorothy Cresswell, age 10 years and 2 months, of Griver-street, Cottesloe: —
My opinion is, as a little girls myself, that girls are better than boys because when we are home mother always looks to us for about the place in use, and the boys can go out and play. If we go out to join the fun we are always the first to be called in.
In regards to lessons, girls seem to take more interest in their work, such as writing, reading, and poetry. But in many subjects boys can compete with girls. I am sure you will agree will me that girls are the best scholars. When you look at the 'Family Sphere' of August the 6th in 'Churchland Times' there were eighteen prize winners, aim out of that number 13 were girls.
Boys, I think, are very mischievous, and some are very tricky. This little verse gives a very good idea of a boy : — A queer little boy who went to school, Was up to all sorts of tricks, Discovered that 9 when upside down, Would pass for the figure 6. So when asked his age by a good old dame, The comical youngster said : "I am 6 when I stand on my fee like this, And 9 when I stand on my head."
3 rd Prize:
ARNOLD FOLEY, 116 Railway-street, Cottesloe 1/6.
From Arnold Foley, age 11 years 7 months, of 116 Railway-street, Cottesloe: —
My opinion is that they are equal. My father was ammunition worker, and was promoted to a position over a number of girls in an aircraft factory. He brought some particles of metal sweated together by these girls. There was one piece of metal that had been tested in the vice to see if the joining was strong enough, and it was so strong that the metal tore instead of the joint parting, so that proves girls are as good as boys at men's work.
The boys are better at gardening and caring for domestic animals. Girls are better at minding the house for mother and helping her in odd jobs, such as winding wool for knitting and keeping her patch- box tidy, etc. At school the girls are better than boys in spelling, reading, writing and poetry, while boys are better in arithmetic, mental, history and geography. Both sexes are good at drawing. If you considered about all the work done by both sexes in the world, they would turn out both the same.
