Career
In 1854, she went to Australia but returned to England in 1856 due to homesickness and the hot climate. However, in 1861, she returned to Australia, where she settled permanently. The letters were first published by The Bulletin in 1951 and 1952.
In 1963, they were collected in book form and published by Angus and Robertson, with a foreword and illustrations by Norman Lindsay.
Literary critic Debra Adelaide writes that "they are valued for their vivid portrayal of station life in the second half of the nineteenth century and for her own humour and frankness about the life she led".