C/o A. Butcher
Richer Street
Toowong, Queensland
Dear Folk,
Well you received the good news of Janice Louise’s arrival alright. She certainly is a darling babe and everyone tells me how pretty she is. Bert says she is like your grandfather Whiting. Are you pretty? It is hard to say really who she is actually like at this early stage. I was in hospital 16 days, I had to wait over two days after getting there before she arrived. It was very tiresome and I was glad when she decided it was time to enter this funny old world. Of course she had to wait till the 18th of the month. Things always happen to me on the 18th. I was born on 18 May married on 18 November and Janice Louise came along on 18 April. Wonder if I’ll leave for America on the 18th of some month. I can hear her “ladyship” crying right now so guess I’ll have to leave this and go to her for a while. Well here I am back again, I hope she has settled down for the night. By the way her hair is brown and her eyes seemed to be dark too, but neither of us can say for sure yet. She has lovely fine skin and I try to keep it nice. There are such a lot of skin rashes here it is a hard job to keep complexions nice. Bert says she wiggles her nose like his dad does. Everyone says how advanced she is for her age she already smiles and goos and doesn’t seem a scrap afraid of strangers. She is tiny but well formed and makes quite a pretty picture in the bath. We would like to get her photo taken and shall try to. It is very hard to get anything done under about three months and by that time she will have altered so.
May 31
Well here I am at last getting this letter finished I hope. I never knew that such a small mite of humanity could stop one from doing jobs. We call her the “boss” and she certainly rules us. I took her along to the baby clinic to be weighed today she had gained 8 ounces and is now 9 pounds 11 1/2 ounces at six weeks. The nursing sister there thinks she is doing very well and she certainly looks bonny. Her little face is quite chubby.
The weather here now is quite moderate, though we have had one or two very cold days, and wet ones too.
This used to be a leave center for the boys, but it is been closed now for some months. My word! The trades people are feeling it too, the lads were good spenders – it is estimated that they spent 2,000,000 pounds in the two years the place was a leave center. That is a great deal of money here. The souvenir shops are closed down and going out of business; but they must have made their hay just the same. Flowers – vegetables are plentiful here now and we can get cauliflower occasionally green peas, celery, persimmons, a lot of other good things to eat. Today we had fish and I managed to get a foul for the week and it cost 41 shillings in our money, which would be about two thirds of a dollar of your, it is already prepared for cooking. Would that be dear in your country?
I think Bert needs a thorough rest for a while. A few weeks in the country just doing as he pleases would do him the world of good. He has been kept with his nose too close to the grindstone – that is not good for anyone. One more or less expects it wartime, and I’ll be glad when it is all over and life becomes more simple. It will be much harder moving about with the baby as it has hitherto been I had some pretty rough trips and had to overcome all sorts of difficulties such as sleeping in waiting rooms and spending long hours hunting up travel permits etc. It was fun for me but in the future I will not be able to do that, a babe cannot put up with what you can.
I wish we could send some of the tropical fruits over to you that we get here, but even if they would keep I don’t think the customs would let them through. I think that you would like some of our ferns, shrubs, and flowers to grow. My brothers are all keeping well, but I have not seen any of my family for sometime. My brother in the Navy has been transferred to another ship, and I think has gone to the islands somewhere. The one in the Air Force is at Townsville and the one in the army in Brisbane. My niece is study hard for her final in nursing at the Perth Hospital. My eldest sister has started a catering business and catered for the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester on their trip over there and have been chosen to cater for the big ball they will attend. She is an excellent cook and has a number of silver cups to her credit. She lost her only son a couple of years ago – this will keep her from fretting too much. I regret Bert has not been to the West Coast, for he really has missed some of the most glorious scenes one could ever see any I did not say this because I belong there, but it has flowers and other interests that are seen only there.
Tomorrow we collect our new ration books. I hope that will be the last we will have to collect. Lots of things we’ve not seen for five years are coming back into the shop. The other day we bought an enamel saucepan made in Ohio America, and today I bought some dates. I see cutlery is beginning to appear, but the quality is very poor and the price very high.
Many thanks for the parcel you’re sending Janice Louise and please thank both other people who have included a gift for her. I hope to see them someday and personally thank them for the good wishes and gifts.
Well it is getting late – I am becoming sleepy so will say cheerio for now.
Love and best wishes from Bert, Flora, and Janice.
Note: My first daughter (Janice’s first granddaughter) was born on the 18th. 
