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This series focuses on Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region from the arrival of European seafarers and missionaries to the early twentieth century. Contemporary accounts document the gradual development of the European settlements from penal colonies and whaling stations to thriving communities of farmers, miners and traders with fully-fledged administrative and legal systems. Particularly noteworthy are the descriptions of the indigenous peoples of the various islands, their customs and their differing interactions with the European settlers.

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107 results in Cambridge Library Collection - History of Oceania

Page 3 of 6

Explorations in Australia
  • I–Explorations in Search of Dr Leichardt and Party. II–From Perth to Adelaide, around the Great Australian Bight. III–From Champion Bay, across the Desert to the Telegraph and to Adelaide
  • John Forrest
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    08 November 2011
    First published in:
    1875
  • John Forrest (1847–1918), was an Australian surveyor and explorer. At twenty-two, he led an expedition to determine the fate of Ludwig Leichardt, who had earlier disappeared in the western desert. The following year he surveyed the coastal route from Perth to Adelaide, establishing the possibility of a telegraph line. In 1874, he crossed the central western desert, a two-thousand mile journey which confirmed his heroic reputation. He received the founder's medal of the Royal Geographical Society in London and was appointed Deputy Surveyor-General. His account of these expeditions, published in 1875, is based on his diaries, with extracts from official letters and the newspapers that covered the events. Forrest became Premier of Western Australia, held several positions under the subsequent federal government, and was the first native-born Australian to be recommended for a barony. This book thus illuminates the political history of Australia and that of its geographical exploration.

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, during the Years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831
  • With Observations on the Soil, Climate, and General Resources of the Colony of New South Wales
  • Volume 2
  • Charles Sturt
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    08 November 2011
    First published in:
    1833
  • Charles Sturt (1795–1869) was a British soldier, sent to New South Wales in charge of convicts in 1826. In 1827 Governor Darling appointed him to lead the first of two expeditions into the interior, in search of pastoral land for settlement and a navigable river system. Sturt's two-volume account of his journeys was published in 1833. Volume 2 describes how in November 1829 Sturt left Sydney to trace the Murrumbidgee River, which led him to the Lachlan, and ultimately the Murray. The ship which was supposed to be waiting for the party on the south coast had left, and the explorers were forced to row 900 miles back up river on low rations, an experience which permanently damaged Sturt's health. Despite these hardships, Sturt made careful records of the topography and flora of the region, as well as his encounters with the local, occasionally hostile, Aboriginal tribes.

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, during the Years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831
  • With Observations on the Soil, Climate, and General Resources of the Colony of New South Wales
  • Volume 1
  • Charles Sturt
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    08 November 2011
    First published in:
    1833
  • Charles Sturt (1795–1869) was a British soldier, sent to New South Wales in charge of convicts in 1826. In 1827 Governor Darling appointed him to lead the first of two expeditions into the interior, in search of pastoral land for settlement and a navigable river system. Sturt's two-volume account of his journeys, published in 1833, begins with a description of the colony. Volume 1 focuses on the expedition of 1828–9, when Sturt and a small party travelled on horseback down the Macquarie River until it turned into marshes. Skirting the unhealthy swamps, they eventually discovered and named the Darling River, but were forced to turn back due to drought and a lack of fresh water, as the Darling was salt. Sturt describes the topgraphy, vegetation and wildlife, as well as his encounters with groups of Aborigines concerned for the party's welfare despite their own harsh living conditions.

New Zealand
  • Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures during a Residence in that Country between the Years 1831 and 1837
  • Volume 2
  • J. S. Polack
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1838
  • J. S. Polack (1807–82) lived in New Zealand during 1831–7 and 1842–50. An enterprising businessman and land speculator, he traded in timber and flax, and in 1835 set up the first brewery in the country. He also learned the Maori language, and warned against the destructive effects on Maori society of unorganized European settlement, while arguing for the benefits of systematic colonization. This two-volume work, published in 1838, was the first of two successful books by Polack about his experiences in New Zealand and is still regarded as an important and impartial source about the period immediately preceding the Treaty of Waitangi. Volume 2 focuses on Maori material culture and craftsmanship, traditional beliefs and rituals, and warfare (including lurid reports of cannibalism), as well as the early interactions of Maori and Europeans through trade, missions and whaling.

Savage Life and Scenes in Australia and New Zealand
  • Being an Artist's Impressions of Countries and People at the Antipodes
  • Volume 2
  • George French Angas
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    08 November 2011
    First published in:
    1847
  • George French Angas (1822–86) gave up a career in business to become an artist, and his interest in natural history and ethnology is apparent throughout his work. In the early 1840s he travelled to Australia and New Zealand. His paintings from this period were later exhibited and formed the basis of two important large-format books of lithographs that appeared in 1849, having been announced in this two-volume 1847 account of his travels. Volume 2 describes Angas' journey of nearly 800 miles on foot from Auckland into the volcanic interior of North Island, and the spectacular landscapes he saw there. He recounts how he 'invariably experienced hospitality and protection' among the Maori, and documents their customs, both ancient and Christianized. The book ends with Angas' impressions of New South Wales, an account of the customs of the Aboriginal tribes there, and his return to England via Cape Horn and Brazil.

An Octogenarian's Reminiscences
  • James Bonwick
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    08 November 2011
    First published in:
    1902
  • In this 1902 work, teacher, historian and archivist James Bonwick (1817–1906) recalls a long life's contribution to the fields of education and historical writing. More than sixty publications can be attributed to Bonwick, who was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1865. He traces his life from boyhood to the many years he spent in Australia, establishing, managing and inspecting schools. Bonwick stressed the need for observation and experimentation by the pupil rather than rote learning. He was also involved in the temperance movement, and was a sympathetic champion of the near-extinct Tasmanian aborigines. Upon returning to England in the early 1880s, Bonwick immersed himself in transcribing Australian source material, archived in London, that chronicled the British settlement in Australia. Many of his transcripts were subsequently used as the basis of works on the early history of Australia both by Bonwick himself and by others.

New South Wales
  • Its Present State and Future Prospects
  • James Macarthur
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2011
    First published in:
    1837
  • This 1837 book was ghost-written by the young Edward Edwards (1812–86), later a key figure in the development of British public libraries. It contains two petitions requesting closer British government involvement in the transition of New South Wales from a convict colony to a well run society of respectable emigrants. It includes the names and, unusually for that period, the domiciles of all the petitioners, together with supporting arguments and detailed statistical documentation about the population, economy, laws and governance of the colony. The publication was supervised by the wealthy Australian-born landowner James Macarthur (1798–1867), who was becoming increasingly influential in the political and economic development of New South Wales. He aimed to secure 'the best interests of the Colony, strengthen the ties to the Parent State and render it in every way worthy of its British origin', by elevating 'the moral character of its society'.

A First Year in Canterbury Settlement
  • Samuel Butler
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    29 December 2011
    First published in:
    1863
  • Samuel Butler (1835–1902) became famous with his satirical Utopian novel Erewhon, based on his experiences as a sheep farmer in New Zealand and published, initially anonymously, in 1872. This earlier book, published in London in 1863 while he was still abroad, is a compilation of his letters home. Having obtained a degree in Classics from Cambridge, Butler had left England in 1859 with generous funding from his father, who hoped that making his fortune in the colonies would cure his son's ambition to become an artist. Butler was highly successful in his farming enterprise, and his letters provide both financial details and information on the practicalities of animal husbandry, pasture management and colonial life. Butler also explored Canterbury and travelled to the Southern Alps, and describes vividly the landscapes, flora and fauna of South Island. This classic source for New Zealand history also sheds light on Butler's later work.

A History of the Colony of Victoria
  • From its Discovery to its Absorption into the Commonwealth of Australia
  • Volume 2, A.D. 1854–1900
  • Henry Gyles Turner
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1904
  • The first attempt by Europeans to settle in the area that eventually became the state of Victoria, Australia, was led by Colonel David Collins in 1803. Melbourne was founded in 1835, and after the discovery of gold in 1851 became the financial centre of Australia. This authoritative two-volume history of the state's first century, published in 1904 by the banker Henry Gyles Turner (1831–1920), is based on parliamentary records and information from leading political figures with whom the author was personally acquainted. Volume 2 continues Turner's discussion of the gold rush, and covers the management of the goldfields, the imprisonment of unlicensed miners, and the miners' revolts against taxes. The book sets events in the context of the region's changing political landscape, and documents the struggle to establish an efficient government. It ends with a thorough account of Victoria's integration into the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Life and Times of Sir George Grey, K.C.B.
  • Volume 1
  • William Lee Rees, Lily Rees
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1892
  • Published in 1892, this two-volume biography chronicles the remarkable life and career of Sir George Grey (1812–98), the 11th premier of New Zealand. William Lee Rees (1836–1912), lawyer, politician and well-known supporter of Grey, co-wrote this work with his daughter Lily, and the books outline how Grey became arguably the most influential figure during the European settlement of New Zealand in the nineteenth century. The volumes proceed chronologically and are organised by the main events in Grey's life. Volume 1 begins with Grey's upbringing and early years, and describes his first voyage to Western Australia, his first government of New Zealand and his time as governor of Cape Colony. In addition to recounting the incidents, adventures and achievements of Grey's life, Rees also conveys Grey's personal principles and aspirations, giving the reader an insight into the character of this colonial governor and servant of the empire.

Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand
  • Settlement of Otago
  • Thomas Morland Hocken
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1898
  • English-born Thomas Morland Hocken (1836–1910), doctor, historian, and bibliographer, arrived in New Zealand in 1862 after abandoning his career as a ship's surgeon. After establishing a general practice in Dunedin, Hocken began to take a keen interest in the country's recent past. Published in 1898, this book was Hocken's first major work on New Zealand. The book focuses on the history of European settlement in the southern province of Otago in the years preceding the gold rush. Hocken begins with an account of the first pioneers' arrival in New Zealand, and the 'Wakefield Scheme' of assisted passage. The book describes the lives of the founding fathers of Dunedin, the migration of settlers to the area and the establishment of churches, and ends with the discovery of gold. Hocken wrote several other accounts of New Zealand history and was elected Fellow of the Linnean Society for his contribution to botany.

The Founders of Canterbury
  • Being Letters from the Late Edward Gibbon Wakefield to the Late John Robert Godley, and to Other Well-Known Helpers in the Foundation of the Settlement of Canterbury in New Zealand
  • Edward Gibbon Wakefield
  • Edited by Edward Jerningham Wakefield
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1868
  • Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796–1862) was a colonial advocate and political theorist, who was influential in the early colonisation of New Zealand and South Australia. Wakefield read widely on contemporary economics and social questions, and his theory of colonisation helped shape the British Empire. He formed the New Zealand Association in 1837 to create a new colony in that country, finally emigrating himself in 1852. His son, the editor of this volume of letters, was appointed secretary of the first settler expedition to New Zealand in 1839, and was elected political representative for Canterbury in 1854. The letters in the volume, published in 1868, which span the period 1847–50, trace the history of the town of Canterbury from Wakefield senior's suggestion of church-led settlement in the 1840s to its foundation in 1850–1. A planned second volume was never published.

A Country without Strikes
  • A Visit to the Compulsory Arbitration Court of New Zealand
  • Henry Demarest Lloyd
  • Introduction by William Pember Reeves
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2011
    First published in:
    1900
  • Henry Demarest Lloyd (1847–1903), writer and social reformer, rose to prominence as one of America's first muckraker journalists. Born in New York City, Lloyd started his journalism career at the Chicago Tribune and went on to expose the abuse of power in American oil companies. He also pursued a career in politics. In 1899 he travelled to New Zealand and Australia, the 'political laboratories' of Great Britain, to investigate how they resolved the conflict between organised capital and organised labour, and how they promoted social welfare. This book, published in 1900, praises New Zealand's system of compulsory arbitration and describes many instances of successful dispute resolution, from clothing manufacture to newspaper typesetting. The book includes an introduction by William Pember Reeves (1857–1932), liberal newspaper editor and writer, who as New Zealand's minister of labour had brought in the Arbitration Act of 1894 and other important labour legislation.

The Story of New Zealand
  • Past and Present, Savage and Civilized
  • Volume 1
  • Arthur S. Thomson
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1859
  • Arthur S. Thomson (1816–60) was a Scottish military surgeon and medical scientist who was posted to New Zealand in the late 1840s. During his eleven years in the country, settlement increased and British sovereignty over the colony was extended. Thomson felt that previous historical accounts of New Zealand all demonstrated a certain political, colonial or religious bias, and decided to write his own comprehensive history of the islands, which was published in 1859. Volume 1 begins with a focus on the geography and climate of New Zealand. Thomson then describes the physical appearance of the New Zealanders, their way of life, their culture, their property laws and the origin of their (now abandoned) cannibalism. Next he describes the history of discovery and settlement by Europeans, who brought 'true civilisation' to the islands. Thomson gives especial credit to the Christian missionaries for having introduced progress and enlightenment.

Knocking about in New Zealand
  • Charles L. Money
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2011
    First published in:
    1871
  • Little is known about Charles L. Money, who sailed in 1861 from Gravesend to New Zealand, where, as he recounts in this volume, he spent the next seven years, working as a gold prospector, a surveyor, a sheep hand, a baker's boy, and a log splitter. He also spent periods in the military, serving in McDonnell's campaign against the Maori in the second Taranaki war (1863–6), which was instrumental in establishing colonial control of the area, and participating in the notorious Pokaikai raid, an eyewitness account of which is included in the book. Money also, pragmatically, worked with, and occasionally for, the Maori. His narrative provides source material for social tensions in this formative period of New Zealand history, as well as giving a vivid picture of the hardships of emigrant life. It was published in 1871 by Samuel Mullen, the owner of the first literary library and bookshop in Australia.

Life and Progress in Australasia
  • Michael Davitt
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    29 December 2011
    First published in:
    1898
  • Michael Davitt (1846–1906) was a prominent and influential figure in Irish politics in the nineteenth century. A fervent supporter of Irish independence, he was imprisoned more than once in England, but later became a Member of Parliament for Irish constituencies. In this book, first published in 1898, Davitt records a journey of seven months through the Australasian colonies, noting his impressions of the areas he passed through and discussing the political and social norms across the different regions. He examines land laws in many of the areas and describes the different industries then emerging. He also reports on the treatment of aborigines, ranging from 'exterminating the aborigines' in Tasmania to the 'efforts to protect them' in Western Australia, and finally focuses on prisons and prisoner welfare across the colonies he visited. This book offers a wealth of information on many aspects of nineteenth-century Australasia.

The Life and Times of Sir George Grey, K.C.B.
  • Volume 2
  • William Lee Rees, Lily Rees
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
    First published in:
    1892
  • Published in 1892, this two-volume biography chronicles the remarkable life and career of Sir George Grey (1812–98), the 11th premier of New Zealand. William Lee Rees (1836–1912), lawyer, politician and well-known supporter of Grey, co-wrote this work with his daughter Lily, and the books outline how Grey became arguably the most influential figure during the European settlement of New Zealand in the nineteenth century. The volumes proceed chronologically and are organised by the main events in Grey's life. Volume 2 covers Grey's second governorships of Cape Colony and New Zealand, his engagement in English politics and his return to New Zealand in 1870. It concludes with an assessment of Grey's personal characteristics, successes and failures. In addition to recounting the incidents, adventures and achievements of Grey's life, Rees also conveys Grey's principles and aspirations, giving the reader an insight into the character of this servant of the empire.

A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, in New South Wales
  • Including an Accurate Description of the Situation of the Colony, of the Natives, and of its Natural Productions
  • Watkin Tench
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    29 December 2011
    First published in:
    1793
  • In May 1787 a fleet of ships carrying convicts left England bound for Botany Bay, New South Wales, where they were to establish a settlement. One of the crew on board the Charlotte was Watkin Tench (c.1758–1833), who wrote about the voyage of what was later known as the First Fleet. He remained in New South Wales, living in Port Jackson (part of present-day Sydney) from 1788 to 1791, and in this work, published in 1793, he gives a vivid, first-hand account of the early years of British settlement. The chapters are chronologically organised and discuss the many challenges settlers in the fledgling colony faced in staying alive, such as illness and lack of food and other provisions. He also recounts the often violent encounters and 'unabated animosity' between the settlers and the aboriginal people, making this work an important source on the colonisation of Australia.

Old New Zealand
  • A Tale of the Good Old Times by a Pakeha Maori
  • Frederick Edward Maning
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    22 December 2011
    First published in:
    1863
  • First published anonymously in 1863, this classic book recounts the experiences of Frederick Edward Maning (c.1811–83), an Anglo-Irish trader who emigrated to Tasmania with his family as a boy and later relocated to New Zealand. A self-styled 'Pakeha-Maori' ('Pakeha' is the Maori word for a white New Zealander), Maning acquired land and settled down with a Maori woman, occupying a tenuous position between the two cultures. Observing that the old Maori way of life was rapidly disappearing due to the increased European presence in New Zealand, Maning endeavoured to record Maori customs and material culture before all knowledge of them disappeared. Old New Zealand is a mixture of history, autobiography and anecdote, and the author insists all the incidents and people described are real. The language is informal, and the narrative vigorous and rapid, with lively dialogues and occasional Maori phrases. A glossary explains Maori words and concepts.

The Life of Sir Frederick Weld, G.C.M.G.
  • A Pioneer of Empire
  • Alice Lovat
  • Preface by Hugh Clifford
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2011
    First published in:
    1914
  • Written in 1914 by Alice, Lady Lovat (1846–1938), a cousin, this biography of Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld (1823–91) is characterised by its subtitle, 'a pioneer of empire'. The young Weld emigrated to New Zealand with a cousin to establish sheep stations. Entering politics, he became Minister for Native Affairs and then Premier; his Native Rights Act of 1865 redressed many of the grievances which had led to the Maori Wars. In 1868 he was appointed Governor of Western Australia, where he brought in a degree of representative government and helped develop the telegraph and transport infrastructure. In 1874 he became Governor of Tasmania, and in 1880 was promoted to the Straits Settlements, where his period as a colonial administrator was notable for the increase of British influence among the princely rulers of the Malay States. Retiring in 1887 for health reasons, he died in England in 1891.

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