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Caledonia Australis

Scottish Highlanders on the Frontier of Australia
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( 30 ratings, 4 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Caledonia Australis by Don Watson explores the migration of Scottish Highlanders to Australia and their complex interactions with Indigenous Australians. The book delves into the cultural and social challenges faced by both communities during this period, providing a detailed historical account of their encounters and the resulting transformations. Watson's narrative effectively highlights the broader themes of colonisation, identity, and adaptation.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the cultural fusion and historical connections between Scottish emigrants and Aboriginal Australians. It offers intriguing insights into the shared histories and unique cultural encounters, making it an absorbing read for history enthusiasts interested in the blending of traditions and the impact of colonisation.

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After their military defeat in 1745, the Scottish Highlanders suffered a worse humiliation. They were displaced from their ancestral lands. This is a tale of their dispossession. It also tells the rout of another people, the Kurnai of Gippsland in south-eastern Australia. Prominent among those who did the routing were emigrant Highlanders.

An extraordinary piece of history - the Scottish Highlanders on the frontier of Australia - with introduction from Inga Clendinnen.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

After their military defeat in 1745, the Scottish Highlanders suffered a worse humiliation. They were displaced from their ancestral lands and became curiosities: objects of romantic nostalgia, charity, scorn, anthropology - and emigration. This is a tale of their dispossession.

It also tells the rout of another people, the Kurnai of Gippsland in south-eastern Australia. Prominent among those who did the routing were emigrant Highlanders like the explorer Angus McMillan.

Don Watson writes about the frontier on which those two cultures met. It is a story full of tragic ironies and myths which linger to this day.

First published in 1984 and recognised as a significant revisionist work, Caledonia Australis is all the more intriguing and instructive now as debate continues to rage over Aboriginal native title, practical reconciliation and the way Australian history should be written, taught and understood.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Caledonia Australis by Don Watson is praised for its insightful exploration of Scottish Highlanders' influence on Australian history. Reviewers commend its engaging narrative style and the way it uncovers lesser-known aspects of colonial involvement with indigenous cultures. Some find it a captivating blend of history and storytelling that challenges conventional views.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781741667660

Publisher: Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 April 2009

Country: Australia

Imprint: Vintage (Australia)

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 258g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Don Watson's Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: Paul Keating Prime Minister, won the Age Book of the Year and Non-Fiction Prizes, the Brisbane Courier Mail Book of the Year, the National Biography Award and the Australian Literary Studies Association's Book of the Year. His Quarterly Essay, Rabbit Syndrome: Australia and America won the Alfred Deakin Essay Prize. Death Sentence, his best-selling book about the decay of public language won the Australian Booksellers Association Book of the Year 2003. Watson's Dictionary of Weasel Words, another best-seller, was published in 2004. His most recent book American Journeys won the Age Non-Fiction and Book of the Year Awards in 2008. It also won the inaugural Indie Award for Non-Fiction and has been shortlisted for the Walkley Award for Non-Fiction.

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