The daughter of colonial Australia's Surveyor-General, Blanche Mitchell's diaries present a charming picture of early Sydney, centred around her two beautiful homes, Lindesay, and Carthona.
Blanche Mitchell was the youngest of the eleven children of Sir Thomas and Lady Mitchell. She was born in 1843 and spent her childhood and early adolescence in two Darling Point houses - Carthona and Lindesay. Sir Thomas was the Surveyor-General for the colony. Sadly, Sir Thomas died prematurely of pneumonia and left large mortgages and a complicated will containing errors of judgement that affected those left behind. Lady Mitchell was not well provided for. She ended up living in reduced circumstances at Craigend House. The diary is filled with the daily social round that the family continued to experience despite their fall in fortunes. Blanche was a regular member of the St Mark's Darling Point Church congregation and a keen dancer at many balls. Her acquaintance with visiting sailors is reminiscent of that of the girls with visiting soldiers in Pride & Prejudice, but without the scandal. Blanch has not inherited a sufficient fortune to enable a good marriage. She remains single, living with her mother and eldest sister who appears to have a psychological condition, although we only get to see Blanche’s perspective.
Local notes
Blanche Mitchell was the youngest of the eleven children of Sir Thomas and Lady Mitchell. She was born in 1843 and spent her childhood and early adolescence in two Darling Point houses - Carthona and Lindesay. Sir Thomas was the Surveyor-General for the colony.
Sadly, Sir Thomas died prematurely of pneumonia and left large mortgages and a complicated will containing errors of judgement that affected those left behind. Lady Mitchell was not well provided for. She ended up living in reduced circumstances at Craigend House. The diary is filled with the daily social round that the family continued to experience despite their fall in fortunes. Blanche was a regular member of the St Mark's Darling Point Church congregation and a keen dancer at many balls. Her acquaintance with visiting sailors is reminiscent of that of the girls with visiting soldiers in Pride & Prejudice, but without the scandal.
Blanch has not inherited a sufficient fortune to enable a good marriage. She remains single, living with her mother and eldest sister who appears to have a psychological condition, although we only get to see Blanche’s perspective.