Station Life in New Zealand

audiobook

Station Life in New Zealand

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

EN·~5 hours·27 chapters

Chapters

27 total
1

By Lady Barker.

2:20
2

Preface.

1:20
3

Letter I: Two months at sea—Melbourne.

13:23
4

Letter II: Sight-seeing in Melbourne.

7:20
5

Letter III: On to New Zealand.

11:34
6

Letter IV: First introduction to "Station life."

10:44
7

Letter V: A pastoral letter.

7:22
8

Letter VI: Society.—houses and servants.

14:33
9

Letter VII: A young colonist.—the town and its neighbourhood.

6:36
10

Letter VIII: Pleasant days at Ilam.

6:27

Description

A vivid series of personal letters carries the reader from a cramped, sea‑sick voyage across the Southern Ocean to the bustling ports of Melbourne, where the author first glimpses the promise of a new world. Her candid humor and sharp observations turn a long, monotonous crossing into a lively portrait of travel, companionship, and the uneasy anticipation of leaving familiar shores.

Once ashore, the correspondence shifts to the everyday rhythms of a New Zealand sheep station. From the bustle of household staff to the expansive pastures, from festive picnics to sudden snowstorms, the letters capture both the practical challenges and the unexpected joys of colonial life. Through her eyes, listeners discover a blend of frontier adventure, community spirit, and the quiet moments that make a distant land feel like home.

Collections

Browse all

Details

Language

en

Duration

~5 hours (339K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by P. J. Riddick, and David Widger

Release date

2004-07-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

1831–1911

Best known for lively books about colonial life in New Zealand, she turned a brief but adventurous stay there into writing that stayed widely read for generations. Her life stretched across Jamaica, England, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, giving her work a strong sense of movement and firsthand experience.

View all books

You may also like

Life in South Africa

Life in South Africa

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Station Amusements in New Zealand

Station Amusements in New Zealand

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

The Bedroom and Boudoir

The Bedroom and Boudoir

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Colonial memories

Colonial memories

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Letters to Guy

Letters to Guy

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Stories about —

Stories about —

by Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

Wild Sports in the Far West

Wild Sports in the Far West

by Friedrich Gerstäcker