Summary

Game name (and type): 'Goot' (marbles)
Alternative types: play with props/equipment

Handwritten description of the marbles game 'Goot' composed for Dr Dorothy Howard by Suzanne Cory, a twelve year old student at East Camberwell Girls Secondary School, in 1954-1955. Cory describes 'Goot' as a game requiring a minimum of two players aged between seven and thirteen, which is played outside during the winter. She provides several annotated, hand drawn diagrams illustrating the game's lay out and progression. To play, a shallow hole, known as the 'Goot', is dug in the ground at which players aim their marbles. Once the order of play is determined, Cory explains that players aim to land their marbles in the 'Goot'. If successful, they proceed to 'kill' their opponents marbles by hitting them three times with their own marble. Cory lists other players of 'Goot' including Roger Cory, Faye Williams, and Judy Dummelow.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's game 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 blue ink on paper. Comprises two sheets. First page features a letterhead printed in black ink; second page features four, annotated, hand drawn diagrams and borders ruled in red ink.

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