Historical information
Correspondence between Aaron Beattie Esq from Beattie Physical Culture College Melbourne and E. Hilmer Smith Esq about Girls’ Physical Culture Classes in July 1928. It was intended to aid the Sydney Legacy Club establish classes for girls.
Excerpts include the following information:
"I would suggest that you form a special C/tee to handle the Physical Culture work. . . . I would suggest that special care be taken to see that none but fully-qualified and trained teachers handle the children - this is all important. . . . We charge every child 5/- per year, payable quarterly. We have been most fortunate here with the girls section. An old friend of mine - Mrs Gillies - is our Hon. Directress. She was - until her marriage - in charge of all Physical Culture training in the State Schools of Victoria, and is a wonderful woman. She takes complete charge, appoints her own staff and so on. We pay some of her assistants from £2.2.0 to £5.5.0 per term of 12 weeks. The class was formed in May last year with 42 girls - we now have 121, and they have left the boys far behind. Enclosed you will find a copy of our measurement chart, which is an important part - every child should be recorded before starting, and again at the end of the year. I am also sending you a copy of our Demonstration Programme. This show was given after the girls had been going for 10 months, and it was a wonderful success - all these things help to bring success, and children seem to want these things to keep them going. . . . We spend about £600 per year on our Children's Work and nearly all of that goes to the Physical Culture side."
Significance
The correspondence is a good snapshot of the undertaking of Melbourne Legacy running girls' club at that point in time and that Melbourne Legacy was trying to help Sydney Legacy establish a similar program. Legacy was only 5 years old at that time and already the importance of the physical culture classes for girls was underway.
Physical description
Set of three typed and dated handwritten letters on paper between Aaron Beattie Esq, and E Hilmer Smith Esq.
Inscriptions & markings
00126.1 on Legacy Club letterhead.
00126.4 on Commonwealth Bank notepaper.
