Summary

Game type: 'Stations' (racing game)
Alternative types: running games, team games

Detailed handwritten description of the racing game 'Stations' compiled by Judith Petterson, a student at Errol Street Primary School, for Dr Dorothy Howard in August 1954. Petterson describes 'Stations' as a game suitable for any number of boys and girls, which can be played in a room, hall, school yard or playground all year round. To play, she writes that two stools are placed at opposite ends of the play area between which the players are divided. Petterson explains that one child allocates identical sets of 'stations' to the two teams; however, she does not provide an explanation for this term. This child proceeds to call out the different 'stations'. In response the corresponding players from each team attempt to exchange places. Petterson states that another child, who is standing in the central area, tries to beat one of the selected players to their new destination. If successful, they exchange roles. If not, the winning child accumulates a point. Petterson notes that the first player to reach 20 points is declared the winner.

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 two sheets of paper. Features borders ruled in red pencil; text written on one side of page only.

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