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The Colony

A history of early Sydney
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( 170 ratings, 23 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
The Colony by Grace Karskens offers a deep historical exploration of early colonial Australia, focusing on the settlement around Sydney. It delves into the interactions between the settlers and the Indigenous people, uncovering the social, cultural, and environmental impacts of colonisation. Karskens presents a nuanced view of this transformative period, highlighting both conflict and coexistence.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 early history of Sydney, Australia. Delve into a detailed exploration of the city's origins, uncovering stories of its landscape, people, and the complex interactions between Indigenous Australians and European settlers. Karskens offers an engaging narrative that reveals the socio-cultural dynamics of the 18th and 19th centuries.

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A groundbreaking history of the colony of Sydney in its early years, from the sparkling harbour to the Cumberland Plain, from convicts to the city's political elite, from the impact of its geology to its economy.

The Colony is an intimate account of the transformation of a campsite in a beautiful cove to the town that later became Australia's largest and best-known city.

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

The Colony is the story of the marvellously contrary, endlessly energetic early years of Sydney. It is an intimate account of the transformation of a campsite in a beautiful cove to the town that later became Australia's largest and best-known city.

From the sparkling beaches to the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Grace Karskens skilfully reveals how landscape shaped the lives of the original Aboriginal inhabitants and newcomers alike. She traces the ways in which relationships between the colonial authorities and ordinary men and women broke with old patterns, and the ways that settler and Aboriginal histories became entwined.

She uncovers the ties between the burgeoning township and its rural hinterland expanding along the river systems of the Cumberland Plain. This is a landmark account of the birthplace of modern Australia, and a fascinating and richly textured narrative of people and place.

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?

The Colony by Grace Karskens is praised for its realistic portrayal, avoiding stereotypes and offering balanced judgment, providing a foundational tale that resonates with readers. The book is commended for Karskens' passionate and insightful writing style and historical accuracy, akin to reading a novel that expands one's imagination.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781742373645

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 July 2010

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Edition: Main

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

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 174.0mm

Height: 246.0mm

Weight: 1292g

Pages: 696

About the Author

Grace Karskens's groundbreaking book The Rocks: Life in Early Sydney won the 1998 NSW Premier's Award for Local and Regional History and established the author as a leading historian of colonial Australia. As Project Historian for the Cumberland- Gloucester Streets Archaeological Project, she combined history and archaeology to explore the lost world of the Rocks neighbourhoods in her book Inside the Rocks.

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