The dining club dedicated to disproving bad luck

In half an hour, 130 people passed along the footway – and of these only 17 consciously avoided the ladder.

It was reported that “one small boy, in the uniform of a telegraph messenger, did some exercises on it” – the mind boggles – while “several other youngsters of the errand variety obviously had never heard of the superstition.”

The reporter drew the conclusion that since 12 of the 17 ladder-dodgers were women, the superstition “survives principally in the gentler sex”.

It seems that the denizens of Sydney were an elaborately dressed lot and the journalist had a particularly sharp eye for detail.

“One girl who practically dragged her companion from beneath the ladder’s shadow was observed to be wearing a large opal pendant, showing that she didn’t subscribe to all the fearsome belief of the supernatural agency of this stone.

“Another passer-by, Miss Irene Browne, dressed in bright green, which is traditionally unlucky, and another lady had a peacock’s feather in her hat!”

The China Mail also suggested women were “more superstitious than men”.

The writer, in not at all a sexist or patronising manner, continued: “This has been proved by careful notes. And if you come to think it out, you can prove it for yourself by remembering the odd little gestures of warding off ill-luck on the part of your feminine acquaintances.”

“Careful notes” are not now considered scientific proof of sweeping gender-based generalisations.