Sunday, May 5, 2024

Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia

In Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia, Jim Haynes examines the reasons why it was decided to transport convicts to Australia from Britain and how the convicts generally coped in their new country. This book provides a readable introduction to the story behind transportation to Australia

For 270 years Britain transported prisoners from British gaols to different parts of the world. Transportation of convicts to Australia took place from 1787 when the first convicts left on ships for New South Wales and 1868 when transportation to Western Australia ceased. Prior to this, many of the prisoners were transported to America until the American War of Independence 1775 to 1783. As prisons and prison hulks were rapidly becoming overcrowded it was considered necessary to find another location.

Many possible locations were discussed until it was finally decided to send convicts to the other side of the world to serve their term and establish a new colony to prevent the French from taking possession of what was eventually to become Australia. Jim Hayes discusses a variety of reasons the transportation to Australia was considered necessary.

Jim Hayes looks at the attitudes in general to transportation and how transportation to Australia differed from transportation to the Americas. He then writes about men who advocated transportation to Australia including Joseph Banks and James Mario Matra. The next chapters are about a selection of people involved in the transportation of convicts including Surgeon John White on the First Fleet and Captain John Hunter on HMS Sirius. Other chapters concern the lives of a selection of convicts including Mary Reiby, Henry Lovell, John Donohoe who became a bushranger, Sappy Lovell and William Westwood who also became a bushranger. Jim Haynes also includes chapters about the Australian Aboriginal, Permulway, Lieutenant William Dawes, Elizabeth Fry who supported female convicts as did Lady Jane Franklin, wife of the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land.

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