Oxford History of Australia, vol. 2, 1770-1860. Possessions.

Australia, 1770-1860. It is an oft-told tale with familiar landmarks. Cook arrives, convicts follow. Penal settlements indirectly spawn pastoral empires. A vigorous society leaps from its unlikely foundations, and gold rushes complete the triumph of free migrants and even freer institutions. By 1860, the Australian colonies stand confidently ready to tackle a future whose democratic terms they have already boldly defined. A reviewer might be forgiven for approaching this second volume of the Oxford History of Australia. Vol. II: 1770-1860. Possessions (Melbourne: Oxford U.P., 1992; pp. xvii + 397. 25 [pounds sterling]), by Jan Kociumbas, with a certain lack of enthusiasm. …