Australia's Birthstain: The Startling Legacy of the Convict EraPublisher's description: 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. Putting a human face on the convicts' experience, she paints a rich picture of their crimes in Britain and their lives in the colonies. We know about Port Arthur, Norfolk Island, chaingangs and floggings, but this was far from the experience of most. In fact, most convicts became good citizens and the backbone of the new nation. So why did we need to hide them away? Australia's Birthstain rewrites the story of Australia's convict foundations, revealing the involvement of British politicians and clergy in creating a birthstain that reached far beyond convict crimes. Its startling conclusion offers a fresh perspective on our past. |
From inside the book
Results 1-2 of 2
Page 38
... Shaw and Manning Clark and Lloyd Robson began major professional research into Australian topics . Not surprisingly , they quickly confronted the paucity of original material available to them . Clark's reaction was to publish in 1950 ...
... Shaw and Manning Clark and Lloyd Robson began major professional research into Australian topics . Not surprisingly , they quickly confronted the paucity of original material available to them . Clark's reaction was to publish in 1950 ...
Page 39
... Shaw had unlimited access to convict material held in Australia during this decade . So did Manning Clark for his History of Australia , which was researched during the same period . New Zealander and former war correspon- dent Charles ...
... Shaw had unlimited access to convict material held in Australia during this decade . So did Manning Clark for his History of Australia , which was researched during the same period . New Zealander and former war correspon- dent Charles ...
Contents
1 | |
9 | |
32 | |
An Amazing Cast of Characters | 57 |
A Convict Community | 111 |
Outward Bound | 138 |
The Bathurst Road | 168 |
An Unclean Thing | 200 |
Distinctions of Moral Breed | 287 |
The Lost World | 317 |
Acknowledgements | 342 |
Notes | 345 |
Bibliography | 374 |
Index | 387 |
Back flap | 401 |
Back cover | 402 |
Other editions - View all
Australia's Birthstain: The Startling Legacy of the Convict Era Babette Smith No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
A.G.L. Shaw absconded AJCP Allen anti-transportation anti-transportationists AOTAS Archives arrived assigned Bathurst Berkeley birthstain Botany Bay Britain British Brodribb Charles Clark Clephane colonists conditional pardon convict society court Cox's River criminal Crooks Dalhousie death descendants described Diemen's Land Eliza emancipists England evidence ex-convict family historians father flogged Francis gang gaol Gazette George Gill Governor guilty Henry Hobart Honeyman Ibid indent James Jaye John West Joseph labour lashes later Launceston Lewsyn London Lord Lord Dalhousie Macquarie magistrates married Martin Cash Molesworth Committee months moral Moreton Bay Norfolk Island offence penal colonies poachers Port Arthur prisoners punishment Quigley received records Reel Reeves reported Reverend Richard robbery Robson sailed sent sentence servant settlement settlers ship Sir William Bensley soldiers Sorell South Wales SRNSW St Vincent stealing stockade story Sydney Tasmania Thomas ticket-of-leave tion told Toodyay transportation Van Diemen's Land Western Australia wife women young
Popular passages
Page 112 - From distant climes, o'er widespread seas, we come, Though not with much eclat or beat of drum, True patriots all; for be it understood, We left our country for our country's good...
Page 14 - ... bind the person taking the same to engage in any mutinous or seditious purpose; or to disturb the public peace, or to be of any association, society or confederacy formed for any such purpose, or to obey the orders or commands of any committee or body of men not lawfully constituted or of any leader or commander or other person not having authority by law for that purpose, or not to inform or give evidence against any associate...
Page 320 - ... it blushes for. But the sad, grim truth remains. For half a century the law allowed the vagabonds and criminals of England to be subjected to a lingering torment, to a hideous debasement, to a monstrous system of punishment, futile for good and horribly powerful for evil...
Page 139 - Who would not live a year or two in Sydney, To get acquaint with all its nonpareils ; To dine with people of a certain kidney, And bask all in the sunshine of their smiles ? They don't live quiet, as they ought, and hid. Nay, Proud of expulsion from the British Isles, Some glory in their shame ! Very strange tales Are told of gentlemen of New South Wales.
Page 112 - Some of the actors acquitted themselves with great spirit, and received the praises of the audience: a prologue and an epilogue, written by one of the performers, were also spoken on the occasion; which, although not worth inserting here, contained some tolerable allusions to the situation of the parties, and the novelty of a stage-representation in New South Wales.
Page 244 - Shall fathers weep and mourn To see a lovely son Debas'd, demoraliz'd, deform'd, By Britain's filth and scum? Shall mothers heave the sigh, To see a daughter fair Debauch'd, and sunk in infamy By those imported here? Shall pastors have to gaze, In sorrow, o'er the land; To see immortal souls debas'd And, dying, be condemned? And shall the rising race, Thro' ages yet to come, Reflect with shame on those who made Their land a penal home?
Page 315 - He had been always escaping, always rebelling, always fighting against authority— and always being flogged. There had been a whole life of torment such as this— forty-two years of it; and there he stood, speaking softly, arguing his case well, and pleading while the tears ran down his face for some kindness, for some mercy in his old age. "I have tried to escape— always to escape," he said, "as a bird does out of a cage.
Page 109 - England, perched upon a three-legged stool, with a bed under him for a cushion — a patchwork quilt round him for a robe of office — and a huge swab combed over his dignified head and shoulders in lieu of a wig. Barristers, with blankets round them for gowns, pleaded eloquently the causes they were engaged in, brow-beating and cross-questioning the witnesses, according to the...