Melbourne, 5th June 1841
Melbourne, 5th June 1841Margaret’s water broke just as she put the kettle on the fire to boil. William had left for work an hour earlier. The timber cottage they rented a few doors from John and Elizabeth in Bourke Street, hadn’t warmed up from stoking the fire, but beads of perspiration dripped from Margaret’s forehead, down her face, her neck and onto her bodice. ‘This baby will not take long to come into the world.’ Stooped with the pain of quick, intense contractions, Margaret went into the girls’ bedroom to wake Sarah. The little girl sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and blinked at her mother. ‘Sarah, put on your shoes and your coat and get Aunt Elizabeth. You stay with her boys while she comes to help Mama. Tell her the baby is coming.’
Without questioning,
