June 1942 School Magazine

June. 1942 ·

, 1\ri,sb~ne Girls' Grammar School Magazine

_June. 1942

_ Bi.isbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

We have grown accustomed to seeing the American soldiers now, but their presence reminds us ·ever of ihe growing bond between America and Australia. But the erection of shelters and the camouflaging of guns . and buildings are only surface changes that have come over our city. There has been wrought in the outlook of her people, the mightiest change of all. We are now striving, everyone, for one goal - "Victory' '. When the war is over and Brisbane and her people have emerged victorious, she will once again don a peace-time garb. -P.F., VI.

BRISBANE IN BATTLE DRESS. 1942! and Australia is at war, with an enemy whose far- flung tentacles have now even endangered her very soil. At last war comes to Australian shores and Brisbane does her share and puts on her battle dress. What a different Brisbane to the one we knew and loved in 1939 ! Even now, we see it changing day by day and a walk through the city seems to bring the war closer to our hearts. Our lovely parks and gardens are zig-zagged by trenches, giving a rugged contour to the once stately lawns; some bristle with guns, whose tapering barrels are hidden by camou- flage nets. The most prominent buildings are decked in som- bre greys and browns to render them less conspicuous from the air; shop windows no longer cheer the passing window gazer but now offer a .grim boarded frontage and sandbags obscure the lovely church windows. Perhaps the most noticeable and yet one of the commonest sights today are the air raid shelters. We never dreamed that whole streets would be taken up by these. But how much safer we feel to see their friendly shapes loomingup out of the darkness. Brown-outs have made the city miserable, as the lack of neon signs and brightly-lit windows detracts from the gaiety of the city. Yet there is a wartime gaiety and interest. It is not an un- common sight to see the gaily coloured clothing of some oriental evacuee mingling with the khaki and navy blue of the figthing forces. The military trucks, Bren carriers and dron- ing planes have become machines of every-day life.

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EXPRESSION. Oh! How can I express my deepest thoughts? My love, my hope, ambition and despair? Am I to live and in the e nd to c ie Thus craving speech! 'Tis mere than I can bear. I know the passion music must arouse, I know the song of love that shepherds flute. What ·soul can hear the call and be unmoved? And yet my lips are seal~d, and I am mute. My being throbs and palpitates with love That calls and hopes and lcngs to be expressed. My life is but a tender, tearless hope, . And till my thoughts are fr ee J cannot rest.

-JILL WHITELY-IV.E.

PAT HUNTER, IV.C.

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