The History of TasmaniaJohn West (1809-1873) was an English-born minister who received a Colonial Missionary Society post in Tasmania in 1838. West became an outspoken opponent of the ongoing government policy of transporting convicts from Britain to Tasmania. Around 1847 a wealthy supporter approached West to write the colony's history, although it had been a British territory only since 1803. West accepted the task and, amid his campaigning and other responsibilities, completed this two-volume work which was published in 1852. It is divided between a straightforward narrative of events and thematic issues such as the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples and the issue of the convict transport system. In Volume 2, the first ten sections discuss the early encounters with Europeans and the subsequent mistreatment of the native people in Tasmania. The remainder of the volume considers the island's development as a penal colony. |
Contents
p | 1 |
Conflict at Risdoncruelty to nativestribe visits Hobart | 10 |
Causes of conflictMusquitoexecution of blacksunavail | 18 |
p | 26 |
p | 32 |
p | 44 |
p | 71 |
TRANSPORTATION | 99 |
p | 214 |
p | 274 |
p | 291 |
Lord Stanleys probation systemeffects at Norfolk Island | 305 |
System in Van Diemens Landlarge arrivalsincompetent | 318 |
p 222 | 328 |
CONCLUSION | 337 |
ALPHABETICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CHIEF PLACES IN TASMANIA | 355 |
Common terms and phrases
aborigines arms arrival Arthur assignment became blacks British bushrangers Campbell Town capture character charge chief church colonists colony commandant constables convict court crime criminal crown death Derwent despatch Diemen's Land discipline district emancipists emigration employed England English escape evils exhibited favor female fire formed gangs gaol Governor habits hands Hobart Town human indulgence justice labor Launceston less liberty Lord John Russell Lord Stanley Macquarie Harbour master ment miles from Hobart military moral murder natives Norfolk Island offences officers opinion Oyster Bay pardon parish party passed penal persons police magistrate population Port Port Jackson Port Sorell post station prisoners punishment received reform river robbers Robinson savage sent sentence servants settlement settlers society soldiers South Wales speared spirit suffered surgeon-superintendent Sydney Tasmania tion township transportation tribe Van Diemen's Land vessel women wounded