Mid-1878–January 1879: from the gloom of grief to Australian adventures.

In part five of The Anna Project, Anna has had a break from her work as a governess, spending the summer with friends on an extended tour of Europe.

She has only just arrived back in Germany to see family when a plea for help arrives from a friend in England: Mrs Hill, originally from Germany, has been suddenly widowed and wants Anna’s support. Anna’s portrayal of a household in mourning now feels very Victorian to modern readers, as does her description of the comforts offered by a way of life that has numerous servants on hand at every hour of the day or night.

But just as Anna is suggesting that life with Mrs Hill has become a little too monotonous, there’s a bolt from the blue: a letter from her previous employer, Mrs Tindal, inviting Anna to spend a year or more travelling with the family to Australia and back.

This is my last translation for The Anna Project as the next section of the memoir relating to her time in Australia is going to be published by a local history association in New South Wales.

Read on for part six of The Anna Project. If you would like some background details on Anna, you can find them on my LinkedIn page.