This first general history of pre-goldrush Victoria in more than ninety years incorporates the advances in documentation and scholarship which have taken place. The book is illustrated in colour with contemporary paintings, many of which will be unfamiliar to most readers. The period from the first temporary convict camp of 1803 to the formal separation of Victoria from New South Wales in 1851 encompassed years of struggle, adversity and uncertainty. They saw the future of the territory shaped by diverse figures: Aborigines, whalers, adventurers, squatters, speculators and immigrants. The story begins with the British government's decision to make a settlement on the shores of Bass Strait and with a study of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Port Phillip as they were at the dawn of the nineteenth century. An account of the beginnings of Melbourne leads on to the topics of squatting, speculation, immigration, economic depression and recovery, and ends with an examination of the separation of the district from New South Wales.

About the Author
A. G. L. Shaw was Emeritus Professor of History at Monash University and has had a distinguished career as a scholar in Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academies of the Humanities and of the Social Sciences and has been president of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. In 1982 he was awarded the A.O. for services to education. Professor Shaw has published widely.


Book Information
ISBN 9780522850642
Author Shaw A.G.L
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Melbourne University Press
Publisher Melbourne University Press
Weight(grams) 496g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 155mm * 31mm