Miss Pickle

by Constance Mackness, M.D. Johnston (Illustrator)

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Born in 1882 in Tuena, New South Wales, Constance Mackness was the daughter of goldminer James Mackness, and his wife Alice Brown. She was educated at Fort Street Model School, and went on to win one of three scholarships available to women, to the University of Sydney, graduating in 1902 with first class Honours in English, French and History. She taught history for thirteen years at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Croydon, before becoming senior mistress, in 1916, at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College at Pymble. In 1919, Mackness was the founding Headmistress of the Presbyterian Girls’ College, Warwick, where she remained until her retirement in 1949.

Mackness wrote ten children's novels, a number of articles and short stories for local papers and for the Bulletin, and a local history of Clump Point. She was awarded an M.B.E. in 1959.

from: Bonza Schooldays

Reviews

[Khai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story really picks up in the final third—I throughly enjoyed the blossoming friendship of Lola and Trix (‘Pickle’) across the school year.

The Australian setting is refreshing, too, and there aren’t any major coincidences (deus ex machina) typical of the twentieth century school story genre.

4.5 stars.