
Botany Bay: The Real Story
The Real Story
Alan Frost(Author)
Black Inc. (Publisher)
Published on 1. January 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-86395-554-6 (ISBN)
Description
For the first time in two hundred years, here is a full and authentic account of the beginnings of modern Australia.
We all know the conventional story. Established as a dumping ground for Britain’s criminals, Australia owes its existence simply to overcrowded jails and a daunting remoteness from everywhere else.
In Botany Bay: The Real Story, Alan Frost goes beyond these clichés to shed new light on the decision to settle New South Wales. He examines the hopes and fears of the politicians who took the decision, and the larger commercial and military needs that underwrote it.
In the years before the First Fleet sailed, Frost reveals, British authorities considered sending convicts to sites in North and South America, Africa and New Zealand. In deciding on Botany Bay, they hoped not only to rid Britain of its excess criminals, but also to gain a key strategic outpost and take control of valuable natural resources.
The culmination of thirty-five years’ study of previously neglected archives, Botany Bay is a groundbreaking work that offers new and surprising insights into how Australia came to be.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Melbourne
Australia
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
315 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-86395-554-6 (9781863955546)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Alan Frost is professor emeritus of history at La Trobe University. His previous books include Botany Bay: The Real Story, The First Fleet: The Real Story, The Voyage of the Endeavour and The Global Reach of Empire.