Summary

Game name (and type): 'British Bulldog' (chasing game)
Alternative types: running game

Handwritten description of the chasing game 'British Bulldog' written for Dr Dorothy Howard by Barry Powell, a student at Double View Government Primary School, presumably on 25 March 1955. Powell describes 'British Bulldogs' as a rough game usually played by boys, which any number can play. He writes that a large, grassy area is preferable as it lessens the chance of injury during falls. To play, a captain selects a 'he-man', the chaser, while the other players line up against a wall. 'He-man' calls out the names of players, who must try to reach the opposite end of the field without being caught. Powell notes that captured players assist 'he-man' to catch other players, noting that the game often results in brawls as children try to avoid 'he-man' and his assistants.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's games written to children's Folklorist Dorothy Howard between 1954 and 1955. Dr Howard came to Australia in 1954-55 as an American Fulbright scholar to study Australian children's folklore. She travelled across Australia for 10 months collecting children's playground rhymes, games, play artefacts, etc. This letter, together with the other original fieldwork collected by Dr Howard during this period, is preserved in the Dorothy Howard Collection manuscript files, part of the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC), Archive Series 3. The ACFC is an extensive collection documenting children's folklore and related research.

Physical Description

Handwritten game description in black ink on lined paper. Comprises two sheets featuring borders ruled in red pencil; text printed on one side only.

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