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Clara Morison
Set in Adelaide in the early 1850s Clara Morison tells the story of a young educated woman who migrates to South Australia from Scotland kwowing very little of her new home. Clara finds work, battles illness, discovers relatives and slowly finds her place in the struggling colony. Her story, which reveals the fine details of colonial domestic life, is set against the turbulence of the gold fever when men and money streamed out of South Australia to the goldfields in the eastern colonies.
The problems of a new and vulnerable colonist and the atmosphere of public and private financial upheaval are successfully recreated by Spence, making Clara Morison by far the finest novel of colonial South Australia.
The problems of a new and vulnerable colonist and the atmosphere of public and private financial upheaval are successfully recreated by Spence, making Clara Morison by far the finest novel of colonial South Australia.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1854
150 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Helen Spence
41 books6 followersScottish-born Australian novelist, a critic, an accomplished journalist, a preacher, a lecturer, a philanthropist, and a social and moral reformer. Australia’s first female political candidate after standing for the Federal Convention held in Adelaide, and a keen campaigner for electoral reform, (Thomas Hare's voting scheme for the representation of minorities). She admitted in her autobiography that she was late to 'lend a hand' to the Australian suffragist movement, believing that electoral reform for male voters was a higher priority than votes for women.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 9, 2015
I read this for the 2015 writing challenge category, 'A book that takes place in your hometown.'
After the death of her father, Clara's uncle has no room for her. Her sister, Susan, may at least be useful as a family governess. Clara 'reads aloud with exquisite taste' and can tell you where to find information right down to the page number, but those skills are unmarketable. He comes up with the bright idea of sending her to South Australia, where he believes they're in no position to be choosy. 'Everybody who can do nothing at home is sent out as quite good enough for the colonies.'
It's not as easy to find employment as a lady's companion as they expected, and Clara has no choice but to accept the position of household servant with Mr and Mrs Bantam. In Adelaide, she comes across distant family previously unknown to her, and also falls in love.
The picture of Adelaide life in the colonial era is wonderful. Spence was a woman of the actual time period. This was published in 1854, so her impression of the new settlement is genuine, not written by some modern author who has studied history books and hazards a guess what it must have been like. The descriptions of fledgling businesses on familiar Adelaide streets made me feel as if I was right there. The impressions the characters have of the city layout, one-storey, non-thatched, bull-nosed verandah homes, dusty roads, and unusual flora and fauna would have surely been authentic. I was proud of how the characters show up as people with such a lot of energy and optimism, as my ancestors would have been among them.
Clearly, Spence expected everyone to sympathise with her main character, but I couldn't warm to her. Clara is quick to sum people up as inferior, coarse or vulgar, and spends a lot of time quietly looking down her nose. She's flattered when handsome Mr Reginald considers merry Miss Waterstone 'her companion merely, and not her friend.' Later, she judges him based on his choice of reading matter. 'I cannot read such trash as this. If he admires it, he has not such a fine taste as I expected from him.' (It's revealed a bit further on that the dime novel wasn't even his.) Here's my gripe. The story's villain, the aptly named Miss Withering, is shown up as a social snob, a definite no-no in the new colony. Yet Clara is an intellectual and literary snob, and we were supposed to love her! Talk about blind spots.
It's surprising to read how quick these colonial folk were to assess others neatly on the basis of first impressions and appearances. They'd throw around words like 'ugly' and 'dumb' without a thought. Clara thought the German people working at the Beauforts' were 'very stupid looking' and considered kind Mrs Handy 'a commonplace, talkative woman without any refinement or delicacy of feeling.'
My favourite part by far was the letters sent home from the boys on the goldfields. I liked the Elliot brothers and their friends, who seemed down-to-earth. Their experiences were really interesting, including their contact with Alexander Tolmer, our real-life police sergeant.
For fellow Aussies, it's interesting to see the good old, traditional rivalry between South Australia and Victoria already firmly in place. Several characters make sure to convince others that Adelaide is far superior to Melbourne, 'even though they look upon us with pity and consider us completely eclipsed.' After his experience on the goldfields, the character William Bell says, 'I have not met a South Australian who did not mean to return.'
Overall, I think every person who lives in Adelaide should read this, for the great detail about life in bygone times. Imagine the Torrens being the main source of the city's drinking water! I also had fun trying to picture a time when Adelaide was seen as a sort of women's settlement, because the men were all heading off to Victoria looking for gold. It's fairly upbeat and ends well for most main characters. Long after the book finishes, you imagine Clara and her like-minded hubby sitting by their fire, discussing other people's shortcomings and making snarky, personal remarks.
After the death of her father, Clara's uncle has no room for her. Her sister, Susan, may at least be useful as a family governess. Clara 'reads aloud with exquisite taste' and can tell you where to find information right down to the page number, but those skills are unmarketable. He comes up with the bright idea of sending her to South Australia, where he believes they're in no position to be choosy. 'Everybody who can do nothing at home is sent out as quite good enough for the colonies.'
It's not as easy to find employment as a lady's companion as they expected, and Clara has no choice but to accept the position of household servant with Mr and Mrs Bantam. In Adelaide, she comes across distant family previously unknown to her, and also falls in love.
The picture of Adelaide life in the colonial era is wonderful. Spence was a woman of the actual time period. This was published in 1854, so her impression of the new settlement is genuine, not written by some modern author who has studied history books and hazards a guess what it must have been like. The descriptions of fledgling businesses on familiar Adelaide streets made me feel as if I was right there. The impressions the characters have of the city layout, one-storey, non-thatched, bull-nosed verandah homes, dusty roads, and unusual flora and fauna would have surely been authentic. I was proud of how the characters show up as people with such a lot of energy and optimism, as my ancestors would have been among them.
Clearly, Spence expected everyone to sympathise with her main character, but I couldn't warm to her. Clara is quick to sum people up as inferior, coarse or vulgar, and spends a lot of time quietly looking down her nose. She's flattered when handsome Mr Reginald considers merry Miss Waterstone 'her companion merely, and not her friend.' Later, she judges him based on his choice of reading matter. 'I cannot read such trash as this. If he admires it, he has not such a fine taste as I expected from him.' (It's revealed a bit further on that the dime novel wasn't even his.) Here's my gripe. The story's villain, the aptly named Miss Withering, is shown up as a social snob, a definite no-no in the new colony. Yet Clara is an intellectual and literary snob, and we were supposed to love her! Talk about blind spots.
It's surprising to read how quick these colonial folk were to assess others neatly on the basis of first impressions and appearances. They'd throw around words like 'ugly' and 'dumb' without a thought. Clara thought the German people working at the Beauforts' were 'very stupid looking' and considered kind Mrs Handy 'a commonplace, talkative woman without any refinement or delicacy of feeling.'
My favourite part by far was the letters sent home from the boys on the goldfields. I liked the Elliot brothers and their friends, who seemed down-to-earth. Their experiences were really interesting, including their contact with Alexander Tolmer, our real-life police sergeant.
For fellow Aussies, it's interesting to see the good old, traditional rivalry between South Australia and Victoria already firmly in place. Several characters make sure to convince others that Adelaide is far superior to Melbourne, 'even though they look upon us with pity and consider us completely eclipsed.' After his experience on the goldfields, the character William Bell says, 'I have not met a South Australian who did not mean to return.'
Overall, I think every person who lives in Adelaide should read this, for the great detail about life in bygone times. Imagine the Torrens being the main source of the city's drinking water! I also had fun trying to picture a time when Adelaide was seen as a sort of women's settlement, because the men were all heading off to Victoria looking for gold. It's fairly upbeat and ends well for most main characters. Long after the book finishes, you imagine Clara and her like-minded hubby sitting by their fire, discussing other people's shortcomings and making snarky, personal remarks.
September 6, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, based in the early days of the colony of South Australia. It is, at face value, a simple story of a young woman, Clara Morison, set adrift in a new country in the mid nineteenth century, but it also contains much information about what life was like in those early days as well as quite clever political and moral discourse.
A major theme explored it the role of women in society, their lack of opportunity to exercise their intellectual capacity, and the poor recognition of the skill required for "women's work". An example of the latter is when the menfolk go off to the gold diggings and discover that clothes-washing and bread-making require quite some skill.
Another key theme is the cultural differences between Adelaide and Melbourne, and the gentle rivalry between those two cities (Adelaide being supported as the morally superior and more intellectual city!).
In many of the characters we see them deciding between fast wealth or work that both intellectually satisfies and has an impact on the new colony. This is exemplified in the character of Gilbert Elliot who must decide between digging gold or becoming a lawyer, and is reflected in many of the other characters. There are also some comments scattered throughout the tale about the responsibility of the press to educate rather than amuse, the perils of poor education, and the hope for the future of the fledgling colony. These ideas reflect the thoughts of the author, Catherine Helen Spence, who was a political reformer. It doesn't read as a religious tract, though, these ideas are simply part of the story and part of the normal discourse among the highly educated characters in the novel.
Some bits are quite funny, in that gentle way of the 19th century novel. For example, the statement "Mr Digby was considered a delightful and clever young gentleman by all the half-educated girls he met in polite society"... made me laugh out loud.
It is a long story, and full of detail, which I found very enjoyable. I grew quite attached to the characters, and enjoyed hearing how life may have been for my ancestors since they arrived in South Australia around the time the novel was published.
A major theme explored it the role of women in society, their lack of opportunity to exercise their intellectual capacity, and the poor recognition of the skill required for "women's work". An example of the latter is when the menfolk go off to the gold diggings and discover that clothes-washing and bread-making require quite some skill.
Another key theme is the cultural differences between Adelaide and Melbourne, and the gentle rivalry between those two cities (Adelaide being supported as the morally superior and more intellectual city!).
In many of the characters we see them deciding between fast wealth or work that both intellectually satisfies and has an impact on the new colony. This is exemplified in the character of Gilbert Elliot who must decide between digging gold or becoming a lawyer, and is reflected in many of the other characters. There are also some comments scattered throughout the tale about the responsibility of the press to educate rather than amuse, the perils of poor education, and the hope for the future of the fledgling colony. These ideas reflect the thoughts of the author, Catherine Helen Spence, who was a political reformer. It doesn't read as a religious tract, though, these ideas are simply part of the story and part of the normal discourse among the highly educated characters in the novel.
Some bits are quite funny, in that gentle way of the 19th century novel. For example, the statement "Mr Digby was considered a delightful and clever young gentleman by all the half-educated girls he met in polite society"... made me laugh out loud.
It is a long story, and full of detail, which I found very enjoyable. I grew quite attached to the characters, and enjoyed hearing how life may have been for my ancestors since they arrived in South Australia around the time the novel was published.
July 2, 2023
No historical fiction can ever be as authentic as something written in the era, and this book, published in 1854, gives the feeling of being in the colony of South Australia just 18 years after the first European settlement almost as well as if one were to travel back with a time-machine. The way people spoke has obviously changed; at first, it seemed quaint, but soon I was taken by the charm of it, and felt that our language has lost a lot of expression in nearly 170 years.
One of the biggest impressions that I was left with is of the rigid distinction between social classes. When orphaned, nineteen-year-old Clara Morison is sent to Australia by an uncle who doesn't want to provide for her. After failing to find a position appropriate to her social class (a a governess), she goes into service (i.e. becomes a servant) as the only way to provide for herself, and so undergoes a huge loss of status. She faces up to it bravely, until a chance meeting with relatives lets her re-establish herself as a lady. The plot is well thought out and interesting, the characters real and convincing, the descriptions of places sufficiently graphic to enable imagining how they looked.
I enjoyed this book and shall certainly read it again. It's not one of the great works of literature, but it's quickly become one of my favourite books.
One of the biggest impressions that I was left with is of the rigid distinction between social classes. When orphaned, nineteen-year-old Clara Morison is sent to Australia by an uncle who doesn't want to provide for her. After failing to find a position appropriate to her social class (a a governess), she goes into service (i.e. becomes a servant) as the only way to provide for herself, and so undergoes a huge loss of status. She faces up to it bravely, until a chance meeting with relatives lets her re-establish herself as a lady. The plot is well thought out and interesting, the characters real and convincing, the descriptions of places sufficiently graphic to enable imagining how they looked.
I enjoyed this book and shall certainly read it again. It's not one of the great works of literature, but it's quickly become one of my favourite books.
April 30, 2022
I read this book for a class I'm taking on 19th-century fiction, and it did not disappoint!
Clara Morison follows its titular 19-year-old protagonist on a solo journey from Scotland to Australia. Sent by her uncle in hopes of finding work as a governess, Clara is friendless and nearly penniless. The narrative follows her from town to town, job to job, friend to friend, and ultimately, to her true love. While rather slow-paced (hence the 3.5 stars) until its final few chapters, the story is engaging and accessible.
I was floored by how easily readable Spence's writing remains after 168 years. Her characters are round when they need to be, and rather progressive, academic, and witty. Even though I was required to do so, I am very glad that I gave Clara Morison a read.
Clara Morison follows its titular 19-year-old protagonist on a solo journey from Scotland to Australia. Sent by her uncle in hopes of finding work as a governess, Clara is friendless and nearly penniless. The narrative follows her from town to town, job to job, friend to friend, and ultimately, to her true love. While rather slow-paced (hence the 3.5 stars) until its final few chapters, the story is engaging and accessible.
I was floored by how easily readable Spence's writing remains after 168 years. Her characters are round when they need to be, and rather progressive, academic, and witty. Even though I was required to do so, I am very glad that I gave Clara Morison a read.
September 15, 2023
this book was certainly something and i understand why it’s not really in print anymore. it’s just jane austin but in australia.
February 29, 2020
This book was first published in 1854 and describes events in South Australia at the time of the Victorian Gold rush. My own ancestors, my 2x great grandfathers and grandmothers, John and Mary Godlee and Jonah and Rebekah Hobbs were in Adelaide at this time so I was really interested to read a contemporary account of life in Adelaide.
Clara Morison tells the story of a single orphaned educated Scotswoman who is sent out to Adelaide by her uncle. She struggles financially and cannot get work as a governess. It describes the fluid class structure of 1950s Adelaide where working class people could suddenly get rich at the gold fields and Ladies could fall on hard times and have to take up domestic service.
Jonah Hobbs, my 2x great grandfather, was 16 when he went to the Victorian gold fields, as did some of the characters in Clara Morison. I was able to imagine how it would have been for him. Like the character's in this book, he returned none the richer for his efforts. His parents and sisters stayed at home, building a market garden business and when he returned he joined them. Rebekah Harris had come out to Adelaide as a 5 year old from Devon. Her father died in 1850 when she was 16. She married Jonah Hobbs in 1857. By then he was a widower, his young wife and baby having both died. He was working on Rebekah's mother's farm. He was 21 and she was 22. They went on to have many children and build a thriving market gardening business in Marden.
John Godlee, my other 2x great grandfather, never went to the gold fields but I wonder if he were tempted. He had arrived in Adelaide in 1838 so was already established, sort of. He had 4 children by 1950 and had run various businesses in Adelaide. He was declared insolvent - not unusual in Adelaide in the 1840s and was working as a pound keeper by 1849. By 1854 when this book was published, he took out a licence to open a hotel at the mining town of Tungkillo. Mary Amelia Guy came out to Adelaide on the notorious ship, Java, in 1839, and perhaps, like Clara Morison, she had been sent out to Adelaide because her situation in Sussex was insecure. She was an orphan but she did have her sister with her, and possibly her brother. Within the year she had married John Godlee, for better or for worse, and by 1854 was looking after her 4 children and managing a household in Adelaide.
Altogether interesting to read an account of the times by one who was there.
Clara Morison tells the story of a single orphaned educated Scotswoman who is sent out to Adelaide by her uncle. She struggles financially and cannot get work as a governess. It describes the fluid class structure of 1950s Adelaide where working class people could suddenly get rich at the gold fields and Ladies could fall on hard times and have to take up domestic service.
Jonah Hobbs, my 2x great grandfather, was 16 when he went to the Victorian gold fields, as did some of the characters in Clara Morison. I was able to imagine how it would have been for him. Like the character's in this book, he returned none the richer for his efforts. His parents and sisters stayed at home, building a market garden business and when he returned he joined them. Rebekah Harris had come out to Adelaide as a 5 year old from Devon. Her father died in 1850 when she was 16. She married Jonah Hobbs in 1857. By then he was a widower, his young wife and baby having both died. He was working on Rebekah's mother's farm. He was 21 and she was 22. They went on to have many children and build a thriving market gardening business in Marden.
John Godlee, my other 2x great grandfather, never went to the gold fields but I wonder if he were tempted. He had arrived in Adelaide in 1838 so was already established, sort of. He had 4 children by 1950 and had run various businesses in Adelaide. He was declared insolvent - not unusual in Adelaide in the 1840s and was working as a pound keeper by 1849. By 1854 when this book was published, he took out a licence to open a hotel at the mining town of Tungkillo. Mary Amelia Guy came out to Adelaide on the notorious ship, Java, in 1839, and perhaps, like Clara Morison, she had been sent out to Adelaide because her situation in Sussex was insecure. She was an orphan but she did have her sister with her, and possibly her brother. Within the year she had married John Godlee, for better or for worse, and by 1854 was looking after her 4 children and managing a household in Adelaide.
Altogether interesting to read an account of the times by one who was there.
January 8, 2024
4.5 stars
An authentic tale of life in Adelaide in 1851 and the mass exodus of men to the goldfields.
This is a rich historical source, especially in terms of the educated elite class of Adelaide. The dialogue represents the colonial discourse of politics and governance and shines a light on the issues of the day.
The lead protagonist and titular character, Clara Morison is somewhat based on Catherine Helen Spence herself. Similarly, the character Margaret Elliot reflects the life of Spence. These characters are quite intellectual and give voice to frustrations of living in a "man's world" when they are eminently capable. This is particularly so in Clara's ability to take shorthand.
At times I felt that Spence's work required tighter editing however in editing the text we would lose so much of the revelations of contemporary learned society. I note that the published version was somewhat abridged and wonder at what was lost.
The romantic elements of the novel also shine a light on the era when so many women must consider marriage as a way to secure their future. The liberal notion of marrying for love is emphasised and we see the Elliot siblings all marry for love or choose not to marry. Clara Morison's romance with Mr Reginald is essential to the story telling arc and was satisfactory in a Victorian sense however if written in the Regency may have inclused more passion.
I feel I could write so much on this novel and will no doubt return to it. I should note that I initially stopped reading after several chapters as I found it hard to get into at the time. It is very much a novel to read with one's full attention to maintain the rhythm of the language of the day.
An authentic tale of life in Adelaide in 1851 and the mass exodus of men to the goldfields.
This is a rich historical source, especially in terms of the educated elite class of Adelaide. The dialogue represents the colonial discourse of politics and governance and shines a light on the issues of the day.
The lead protagonist and titular character, Clara Morison is somewhat based on Catherine Helen Spence herself. Similarly, the character Margaret Elliot reflects the life of Spence. These characters are quite intellectual and give voice to frustrations of living in a "man's world" when they are eminently capable. This is particularly so in Clara's ability to take shorthand.
At times I felt that Spence's work required tighter editing however in editing the text we would lose so much of the revelations of contemporary learned society. I note that the published version was somewhat abridged and wonder at what was lost.
The romantic elements of the novel also shine a light on the era when so many women must consider marriage as a way to secure their future. The liberal notion of marrying for love is emphasised and we see the Elliot siblings all marry for love or choose not to marry. Clara Morison's romance with Mr Reginald is essential to the story telling arc and was satisfactory in a Victorian sense however if written in the Regency may have inclused more passion.
I feel I could write so much on this novel and will no doubt return to it. I should note that I initially stopped reading after several chapters as I found it hard to get into at the time. It is very much a novel to read with one's full attention to maintain the rhythm of the language of the day.
March 13, 2025
I'm glad I finally got around to reading Clara Morison. I'd often heard about it and had the belief that it was about women on the goldfield, however, Clara never goes to the goldfield, this more of a background theme, as men go off to the fields and thus deplete those available for marriage. As the title depicts, however, this is the story of the experience of a woman in 19th century Australia. The need to come out to Australia because her parents had died and her uncle couldn't provide for her, she needed to find work, and there was a need for governesses in the colony. It was difficult, however, to find work and eventually when she did the experience was unacceptable so she moved on. The problem was that the only other choice for her was domestic work and this meant stepping down to a lower class. Clara doesn't overly fret over this while others around her did. Throughout the book there remains a love interest, which seemed to have promise, but I have to say I can't remember if the couple married, so I don't think this was a primary emphasis for Spence. The story really is more about everyday life for middle-class women in Colonial Australia, Clara's friendships and working life, setting the scene for life for many women during this time, though certainly not most.
May 19, 2017
I enjoyed this. Rather Gaskell-esque.
March 11, 2019
Superb!
Read
August 14, 2024Spence's time in colonial Australia gave the novel it some authenticity, but I was expecting a little better than the fair-tale Austen-ian ending.
August 5, 2019
Clara Morison, or: Jane Austen Comes to Adelaide but Forgets to Bring her Character Development.
July 3, 2025
An Australian Classic
I studied and loved "Clara Morison" in VCE English Literature, and for several years reread my fat paperback each year. 😆 However, it's been at least a decade since I read this story, so I decided it was time.
Once again, I enjoyed this story. It's ultimately a women's fiction tale weaved with romance, country life, and fascinating historical facts about Adelaide, South Australia in general, and parts of my hometown of Melbourne during the gold rush days.
If you've read and enjoyed classics like Austen, Gaskell and the Brontes, you'll enjoy this Aussie tale. I found the language easier to understand than some classic Regency stories, but then I'm Australian and understand our national "quirks". 😂
Loved Clara and her brave heart. She experienced many difficult lows in her 20 years of life, and I often stopped and imagined "what would I have done in her shoes?" She held her tongue often and amazed me with her quiet patience. I felt for her when she experienced an impossible love abd rejoiced when she found her family.
As expected, I still loved Reginald like I did from my first reading... he's my original "Mr Darcy". 😉 Not a perfect man, but practically perfect in every way that matters.
As a Christian, I also enjoyed the old-school "religious" references and the way God was a part of almost everyone's life... even in a time where our country was populated by convicts and gold diggers! Australia is more "civilised", yet a VERY different place now since most have walked away from our Christian morals and heritage.
A long read, but a satisfying one. 🥰
I studied and loved "Clara Morison" in VCE English Literature, and for several years reread my fat paperback each year. 😆 However, it's been at least a decade since I read this story, so I decided it was time.
Once again, I enjoyed this story. It's ultimately a women's fiction tale weaved with romance, country life, and fascinating historical facts about Adelaide, South Australia in general, and parts of my hometown of Melbourne during the gold rush days.
If you've read and enjoyed classics like Austen, Gaskell and the Brontes, you'll enjoy this Aussie tale. I found the language easier to understand than some classic Regency stories, but then I'm Australian and understand our national "quirks". 😂
Loved Clara and her brave heart. She experienced many difficult lows in her 20 years of life, and I often stopped and imagined "what would I have done in her shoes?" She held her tongue often and amazed me with her quiet patience. I felt for her when she experienced an impossible love abd rejoiced when she found her family.
As expected, I still loved Reginald like I did from my first reading... he's my original "Mr Darcy". 😉 Not a perfect man, but practically perfect in every way that matters.
As a Christian, I also enjoyed the old-school "religious" references and the way God was a part of almost everyone's life... even in a time where our country was populated by convicts and gold diggers! Australia is more "civilised", yet a VERY different place now since most have walked away from our Christian morals and heritage.
A long read, but a satisfying one. 🥰
March 17, 2016
A perfect follow-up for when you run out of Jane Austen novels. It's a lovely Victorian love story with all the trimmings, just set in Australia (which was honestly more interesting than England). A bit of a long read but a lovely one nonetheless!
September 28, 2011
Fascinating story of life in Adelaide during the early days of the colony.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews