Australian History: Brilliant stories from Australia's past.
Australian histories related to convict transportation and early colonial settlement
Maria Island is a UNESCO World Heritage listed Tasmanian convict site, with a long and varied history, and a number of spectacular natural and geological places of interest. From its original indigenous use, soon after aboriginal people made their way to Tasmania, around 30,000 years ago, through it’s early colonial...
In this final episode on Buckley & the Wathawurrung, we hear about what happened after Buckley made contact with Batman’s party from the Port Phillip Association. He eventually moves back into the white society, trying to live a quiet, conflict-free life and records his recollections of living amongst the Wathawurrung....
In Part 2 of William Buckley’s story, living amongst the Wathawurrung people who adopted him, we hear how he adapted and learned a great many skills. He was able to record many of the practices that allowed his mob to live so successfully, in country that almost killed him. And...
William Buckley was an escaped convict who lived amongst the Wathawurrung people for more than 30 years. Adopted as Murrangurk, he had the opportunity to participate in, witness and later record some of the lifestyle and cultural practices of these First Nations people, at a time before they had substantial...
In this final episode on Alexander Pearce we hear about his second escape attempt from Macquarie Harbour, with fellow convict Thomas Cox. They planned a less difficult route for their escape but again, their scheme didn’t proceed as they had planned. This time the authorities took the situation more seriously...
In Part 2 of the Alexander Pearce series we continue the story of Alexander Pearce as he and his fellow convicts continue on their escape from Port Macquarie. They have found themselves in the wild west country, exhausted mentally & physically, and starving with no provisions remaining. Talk turns to...
Alexander Pearce was one of our more notorious convicts, and one of very few convict escapees from Macquarie Harbour, who survived attempting to reach the settled districts. As the last man standing from the eight that absconded together, his survival was only possible because he resorted to cannibalism. In Part...
This episode is the final in the Bligh-Rum Rebellion series, and we take a closer look at how the day developed, how the arrest of Bligh unfolded at Government House, and what followed on from the revolt by the New South Wales ‘Rum’ Corp. The British Government was slow to...
We reflect on the reforms Bligh had introduced and note the rising aggravation amongst the ‘trading group’, who were beginning to lose some of their previous dodgy income streams and privileged arrangements. Many were challenging Bligh’s authority, particularity through the courts and with appeals directly to England, and as tensions...
This episode looks at William Bligh’s background and his reputation as a Naval Captain. He had some very difficult tasks ahead of him as Governor of the troubled NSW colony, and we need to consider if he had the requisite personality and abilities to introduce the reforms required. The English...