Regular readers of my posts will know that this is a strong interest of mine and that I am an avid reader of recent publications. Unfortunately it is only now that we are gathering the true picture of what occurred on the early Australian frontiers.
This book by John Connor is the first thorough expose on the history of frontier conflict in the first fifty years of settlement. It should be noted that conflict existed for a further ninety years beyond the coverage of this book and some would say continues to this day!
It details how initially the British army had difficulty fighting the native inhabitants despite their experience in frontier conflicts in other theaters. It was only with the arrival of sufficient horses that they were able to gain the upper hand.
From the Swan River to the Hawkesbury, and from the sticky Arnhem Land mangrove to the soft green hills of Tasmania, this book describes the major conflicts fought on the Australian frontier to 1838. Based on extensive research and using overseas frontier wars to add perspective to the Australian experience, ‘The Australian Frontier Wars 1788-1838’ will change the view of Australian history forever.
Written from a military perspective, the book acknowledges the violent warfare that took place on Australian soil between colonizers and various Indigenous nations.
The opening chapter of the text is particularly enlightening and it looks at pre-invasion warfare between various Aboriginal nations, and explores the tactics and techniques utilized by Indigenous warriors before widespread contact with Europeans.
Connor’s frontier wars fit within the general pattern of British Empire wars against indigenous people in all the main colonies. Everywhere the British moved into the lands of indigenous people and in one way or another displaced the original owners. Everywhere the indigenous population densities were lower or much lower than those of the incoming colonists. As in Australia later, fights over food, led to frontier wars. Population pressures and displacements led to competition and violence with First Nations Peoples raiding European crops and herds and burning frontier settler houses.
A really great read if you are interested in this period of Australian History.
Sounds like a comprehensive read Dave
Comprehensive yes, but not an easy read. As with most historians Connor is a good collator of facts but not at story telling!
Sounds fascinating- not a subject I know anything about.
Cheers,
Pete.
Thanks Pete.
Sounds very interesting! Lots of literature about the colonial period in Canada and the US, but few of us up in North America know much about indigenous peoples in the Pacific and their wars with the Europeans.
I always found the Kiwis experience in the Maori Wars to be extremely fascinating but I had made the mistake of thinking Australians had a less violent(if not still extremely cruel) time of it. Might be difficult for me to find a copy up here but I should read this to cover my knowledge gap.
Sober reading though. Anything like that written for the North American experience is harrowing, I imagine this is much the same.
Very much so but worth the read. Australia has swept this part of their history under the carpet for 200 years and it only now coming out with lots of scholarly works being printed.
Another book to add to my reading this year mate ,cheers!
Us old codgers are never to old to learn are we!