From: Biological Stn. Pearl Beach
Via Woy Woy
NSW

To: Miss M. C. Sadler
"White Lodge"
101 Northcourt Rd.
Abingdon, Berkshire
England

February 26, 1954

My dear Margaret,

It was so nice to have your letter. I have been worried about you in the great cold. Have you plenty of warm things for the winter? Is your arthritis any better? I do feel for you because I have been very troubled by it, and since I sprained my ankle badly on New Year's Day, I am quite lame. The walk for supplies is becoming a burden, and not the pleasure it used to be. I am so anxious to see my Garden Plan assured during my lifetime and there is such a lot to do just now. As you know the entire management of even one small home without any help or visitors constantly interrupting is a full time job...

Still no word from South Africa. I do hope my letter will receive consideration. I am terribly upset to hear that the Huguenot Library was lost - but I believe very valuable documents (and some relating to the C. family) are stored in the Archives of the British Museum. You have to get special permission to see them. When I went there the special custodian was away and I could not wait for his return later on. Therefore I missed seeing them. I am not so interested in the records that Evelyn has of the Barker marriage descendants as in ours. I have just found your C.-Brown notes so that is a good thing.

My (our) Dutch kinsman is Daniel Crommelin - one of your brothers of whom I met three in Holland in '36. Daniel was a missionary in Java and his son, Rudolph, was in charge of the Dutch navy there at the time of the war. He is now (so he tells me) in Hollandia, New Guinea which he does not like at all. I think it must be an administrative post and that the Dutch navy officers all have to do some land duty. [Minard is mistaken here. Margaret Sadler is not a sibling in this group of Dutch Crommelins...]

I only met Dan and his brother, Aubin, once but I stayed a short time with Marinus whose very nice wife [Cecilia Louise Boissevain] died during the war. They all speak, write and read excellent English. The Dutch family is now the largest of all the groups, and they seemed to me to be a fine sturdy group of young people. Only one young man I did not fancy [Edward Crommelin]. He seemed to be of the rag-time-band type! [Edward was also the man that Minard wrote a long letter to in 1950 with details on how best to prepare for emigration to Australia. Edward and family later decided to emigrate to Canada instead...]

Ed Crommelin
...the young man that Minard didn't like!

Thank you for the hint about Ellermans. I have a bottle and will use it. I have not seen a really good illustrated picture magazine but sent you one showing Sydney Landing [of the Queen]. Everyone says the Harbour Welcome was most beautiful - little boats drawn up on each side for miles - all decorated - to make a lane-way for the Royal yacht. It was a perfect day of sunshine and glittering blue water and sky. Yes, I do feel that we have so much to be thankful for with such a thoroughly good young Queen, and I believe it will bring out the best in her subjects. They had a wonderful time at Canberra, the Federal capital of Australia, and everything was so well done but unfortunately they had some rain. What I thought a most extravagant banquet was put on. I am glad the Queen only looked at it! (Only the best of food; the best of cooking & serving was fitting. Air-freighted pheasants with the feathers put back after cooking (!); Scotch salmon, etc.) I thought it quite wrong and a wicked waste of money and time.

I do look forward to your letters. They are such a help and cheer me wonderfully. Love from Minard.