A Backblocker's Pleasure Trip

One thing which struck the traveller on these various lines was the manner, of catering at the refreshment stalls. In South Australia, from Mannahill to Adelaide, and thence to Murray Bridge, the waiters gave one the impression of being all new hands; they bustled about a great deal without appearing to get much done. They were not particular whether you paid your 3d or 4d when you got your cup of tea or when you brought back the cup. Either they were too flurried or else they had marvelious faith in the honesty of travellers. If the latter, their confidence was sadly misplaced in some instances. The tea was always boiling hot, and a three or five minutes' stay didn't always suffice to drink it. Women mostly kept their seats, and men carried cups of tea in to them. They sat sipping till the train started on--and the crockery was carried away. And the breakage was tremendous. Five cups were broken at one carriage door at Gawlor, and altogether 30 were broken along the train through careless or hurried handling in passing from one to another. At some places boys and girls ran along the platform to receive cups and saucers from passengers before the train started, and even then a good many departed for tables new.

Through Victoria and on the New South Wales side the stallkeepers were more wary, and did more service with less show. You paid for the cup as well as for your tea, the cup money being refunded when you returned the vessel. It was remarkable how much quicker the ladies got through their tea under this system, while the breakages were scarcely worth mentioning. At one place in Victoria we had to return empty-handed to our protegees, and inform them they must come and get their own tea, as all the cups were on chains, and could only be carried away in pieces. We were glad. This style enabled us to get a drink ourselves, whereas our only refreshment hitherto was the steam from the cups as we carried them out.