Summary

Game name (and type): 'Chasey' (chasing game)
Alternative types: running games, language play, counting-out rhymes

Handwritten description of the chasing game 'Chasey' composed for Dr Dorothy Howard by Barbara Mai, a twelve year old student at East Camberwell Girls Secondary School, in 1954-1955. Mai describes 'Chasey' as game requiring a minimum of six players aged between six and twelve years, which can be played in a backyard, school ground or on the street all year. She explains that the counting-out rhyme 'One potato, two potato, three potato, four' is recited to determine which player will assume the role of 'hee' [sic]. 'Hee' proceeds to count to five before proceeding to chase the other players. 'Hee' exchanges roles with the first player captured. Mai notes that players continue in this way until they are tired. She lists other players of 'Chasey' including Joan Timms, Carole Miller, Lee Harris, Leona Howlett, Alan Mai, Robert Leech, Robby King and Peter Timms.

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 and text written in blue and black ink; second page features a border ruled in red pencil.

More Information