A new edition of Lloyd Robson's classic study of the origins and crimes of Australia's convict settlers which introduced a valuable core of hard facts into a discussion previously dominated by anecdote and polemic. Working from a statistical sampling of convicts, and writing with sympathetic insight, Lloyd Robson examined the convicts' records: their social and economic background, age, religion and occupation; and individual cases.
The story of the second British penal settlement in Australia, where a notoriously brutal convict regime became the template for penal stations in other states. Mark Dunn explores relations between the white settlers and the local Aboriginal landholders, and uncovers a long forgotten massacre. Shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Award for Australian History 2021 In 1790, five convicts escaped Sydney by boat and were swept ashore near present-day Newcastle. They were taken in by the Worimi people, given Aboriginal names and started families. Thus began a long and at times dramatic series of encounters between Aboriginal people and convicts in the second penal settlement in Australia. The fertile valley of the Hunter River was the first area outside the Sydney basin explored by the British, and it became one of the largest penal settlements. Today manicured lawns and prosperous vineyards hide the struggle, violence and toil of the thousands of convicts who laid its foundations. The Convict Valley uncovers this rich colonial past, as well as the story of the original Aboriginal landholders. While there were friendships and alliances in the early years, in the later scramble for land in the 1820s - as the Valley was opened to free settlers - tensions rose and bloodshed ensued. With fascinating stories about convicts, white settlers and the Aboriginal inhabitants that have long been forgotten, The Convict Valley is a new Australian history classic. 'Deeply researched and beautifully written.' - Professor Grace Karskens 'Interweaving the Aboriginal, convict and mining pasts of the Hunter Valley, gifted storyteller Dunn reveals the missing and misunderstood complexities of these histories.' - Professor John Maynard 'In this groundbreaking book, Mark Dunn shows how the Hunter Valley became the heartland of convict Australia.' - Professor Lyndall Ryan
Australia's economic history is the story of the transformation of an indigenous economy and a small convict settlement into a nation of nearly 23 million people with advanced economic, social and political structures. It is a history of vast lands with rich, exploitable resources, of adversity in war, and of prosperity and nation building. It is also a history of human behaviour and the institutions created to harness and govern human endeavour. This account provides a systematic and comprehensive treatment of the nation's economic foundations, growth, resilience and future, in an engaging, contemporary narrative. It examines key themes such as the centrality of land and its usage, the role of migrant human capital, the tension between development and the environment, and Australia's interaction with the international economy. Written by a team of eminent economic historians, The Cambridge Economic History of Australia is the definitive study of Australia's economic past and present.
Settlers and Convicts, believed to be by Alexander Harris, closely follows the tale of a settler in New South Wales who must help his group farm, create a woodcut, and build houses. Contents: "Chapter I. Arrival at Sydney. Perambulation of Sydney—The market—Dungaree settlers over their pipes—The wharves—The harbor by moonlight—The St. Giles's of Sydney Chapter II. Convict Discipline. Magistrates' law in former times—Dark doings at iron-gangs—Military justices—A flogging-scene at Bathurst Gaol—Flogging to extort confession—A prosecutor and judge all in one."
Why is it that Australians are still misled by myths about their convict heritage? Why are so many family historians surprised to find a convict ancestor in their family trees? Why did an entire society collude to cover up its past? Babette Smith traces the stories of hundreds of convicts over the 80 years of convict transportation to Australia....
