James Boyce's reinterpretation of Van Diemen's Land's early history — arguing that the convicts who arrived in the colony were transformed by the natural world they encountered, actively adapting to their new environment rather than simply enduring it.
Almost half of all convicts transported to Australia came to Van Diemen's Land. Boyce shows how many of them escaped into the bush, adopted Aboriginal methods of living off the land, dressed in kangaroo skins, and built what he calls a "kangaroo economy" — a way of life entirely unlike the Little England the colonial authorities were trying to create. Behind the official record was another story of adaptation and resilience.
First published in 2008 and widely regarded as one of the most original contributions to Tasmanian history in recent decades. This is the 2021 reprint.
BOOK DETAILS
- Hardcover with dust jacket.
- 388 pages, indexed.
- 2021 reprint.
CONDITION
- Used, generally good condition.
DELIVERY & IN-STORE PICKUP
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