Girl's letter from 1906 echoes in seven-year-old's story today
The Examiner put together a 1906 letter from a 13-year-old girl with a modern seven-year-old's letter. Both girls wrote about school, friends, and animals.
In 1906, Essie wrote to Dame Durden's Young Folks column. She shared her life in Launceston: school, a garden, her pet magpie that could talk, and walks with friends.
This week, seven-year-old Evie became the first writer for the Examiner's new Stories for Saree series. Evie wrote very similar things: school, friends, pets, and hobbies like chess and soccer.
Both had busy, curious lives. The column brings together two snapshots of childhood across time.
- June 28, 1906
- Essie's letter dated
- July 14, 1906
- Published in edition
- September 8, 2026
- Evie's letter received
- 13 years old
- Essie's age
Why it mattersIt shows how childhood echoes across generations. School, friendship, and play remain the same. Yet the world around children changes completely.
AustraliaA delightful local history feature celebrating Tasmania's newspaper archive and connection across time.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 12 d ago
