A Young Man's Colonial Experience
Rev. Stanley Howard writing to his family in England, 1872-1878

Written by Rev. Stanley Howard, Edited by Laurel Horton

Stanley looks at the life of Stanley Howard, a curate at St Peters Church, Cooks River in the 1870s.

Stanley Howard, after almost completing his degree at Cambridge, becomes tubercular. In 1872, for the good of his health, he sails for Australia. From that moment he records his everyday existence in letters to his family in England.

Arriving in Melbourne, he goes on to Sydney, the greater Brisbane area and Canberra before settling in Sydney as curate at St Peters Church, Cooks River, during the ministry of Rev. Charles Baber, and later St Johns Church, Darlinghurst with Rev. Thomas Hayden.

Travelling extensively, he visits Cobbitty, Berrima, the Blue Mountains, Bathurst, the Hunter Valley and North Queensland. His wide social circle includes both rich and poor: Alexander Stuart, a future Premier of NSW, Mrs Louis Hope, wife a founder of the sugar industry, the Campbells and other landowners in the Canberra area, Michael Metcalfe, merchant of early Sydney, prisoners at Berrima gaol, brickmakers of St Peters and German settlers in the Botany swamps.

Domestic arrangements, meals and medical treatment are recorded, providing a unique insight into 19th century Australian life.

The letters are enhanced by editor's notes from contemporary newspaper accounts of the times and biographical details of the people mentioned.

Other people who feature prominently are: Rev. William Cakebread, Breillat family, Coates family, Dean and Mrs William Cowper, Rev. John Done, Mrs Francis Dowling, Mrs Harriet Gibbes, Mr and Mrs Alexander Gordon, Richard Guille, Judge Joshua Frey Josephson and family, Revs. John and Henry Langley, Rev. R.L. King and family, Rev. Arthur Wellesley Pain, William and Letitia Price, Rev. and Mrs Pierce Galliard Smith, Henry E.A. Allan.

Prime Minister John Howard's family links to Stanley

After receiving a copy of Stanley, A Young Man's Colonial Experience, Prime Minister John Howard has written to Laurel Horton, St Peters Church, Cooks River's history team leader, confirming his family links to the book.

Jesse Howard and his wife Ellen (mentioned on pages 262 and 266) are indeed related to the Prime Minister. Jesse's mother Elizabeth is buried in the church graveyard. Jesse's son, Walter Herbert Howard, married Jane Falkiner Jackson. Their son Lyall Howard married Mona Kell.

In his letter Prime Minister Howard writes: "Your Howard history is correct. Lyall and Mona were my parents."

Book information

560 pages (245mm x 170mm) with 16 pages of original photographs
Stanley is priced at $30.00 plus $9.00 postage and handling per copy.

Order your copy of Stanley today - just download and print a copy of our Books & Tapes Order Form. Once you have filled in the form please post it with your payment (cheque or money order) to St Peters Church, 187 Princes Highway, St Peters NSW 2044.

Stanley is also for sale at gleebooks at Glebe, Co-Op Bookshop at Broadway and the State Library Bookshop, Macquarie St Sydney.

Read a review of Stanley on the Sydney Anglicans website.