ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of the immensely popular Girl's Own Paper to demonstrate how girls were prompted to think of emigrating to a British colony. It will also consider the extent to which the magazine created and reinforced an ethos supportive of the imperialist objectives of the nation, the requirements of the colonies and the demands of its readers for a feminine ideal of morality and purity consistent with late Victorian definitions of femininity. In the girls' and women's periodical press, the subject of emigration was taken up with interest and enthusiasm, with many proponents suggesting that the colonies offered opportunities for marriage and advancement unavailable in England. The main emigration themes appearing elsewhere in the Girl's Own Paper, including the desirability of female emigration, the need to be willing to work hard and the need for a suitable escort through an emigration society are reinforced throughout the correspondence section.
