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[Page 12]
-11-
An interesting re-union was on December 2nd when I met at the House of Mrs Bage (of Melbourne) Mr Frank Wild (of whom as a boy I had known when on Lord Brassy's yacht the "Sunbeam") Capt. Hurley and Capt. Webb, all of the Antarctic expeditions. These had been comrades of Mr Robert Bage who, after his return from the dangers of the South, enlisted and was one of that unforgettable and glorious band of Australians who lost their lives at Gallipoli.
Through the courtesy of the Australian Head Quarters I was privileged to go to Salisbury Plains and was very interested in seeing our Australians in preparation there.
On the 5th December there came a hurried note from the Secretary of the Lyceum Club asking if at the United Empire Annual Meeting I would replace a lady whose illness prevented her speaking for Australia. My reception was most kindly and with my heart so closely in touch my task was easy.
Looking over my diary there seems to be nothing that I should leave out of this personal narrative. Every engagement recalls some fresh interest but to tell of all that pertained to each would make a very bulky volume. On the 7th December I called on Colonel Rea of the Melbourne Herald and while there Colonel Springthorpe came and we all found much to talk about. My last meeting with Colonel Springthorpe was at the Overseas Club in Melbourne, when he came to speak on the value of our fruit and vegetable fund we had established.
On the 8th, my son Cecil returning to his squadron, we lunched at the Trocodera [Trocadero]. In the afternoon I was the guest of Miss Alice Grant Roseman, once of Adelaide, and now of British Australian at the Writers Club.
On the 9th, Captain Lawrence, who had left in charge of Ron's battery, came to tea and later both Cecil and Ron joined us, also Mrs. M. Pickles whose guest I had been at the Blue Mountains the November before, with never a thought of meeting her in England.