The Fatal Shore
Encyclopedia
The Fatal Shore. The epic of Australia's founding, by Robert Hughes, published 1987 by Harvill Press, is a historical account of the United Kingdom
's settlement of Australia
as a penal colony
with convicts. The book details the period 1770 onwards through white settlement to the 1840s, when Australia was established as a European outpost. The book explains many of the origins of the Australian character and being, such as the Australian support for Bushranger
s, the underdog and the dislike between the English
and Irish
and their religions. It won the WH Smith Literary Award
in 1988.
The book focuses on the historical, political and sociological reasons that led to British settlement. The book has five key directions:
Though scholarly in the depth of its research, The Fatal Shore has been prized for the fine quality of its writing, particularly in evoking the harshness of life experienced both by convicts and would-be escapees. The following passage describes the final hours of an escapee from Macquarie Harbour, one of two men left from an original group of eight, who turned to cannibalism for survival:
“When Pearce stopped, so did Greenhill. When one squatted, so did the other. There was no question of sleep. 'I watched Greenhill for two nights, and I thought he eyed me more than usual.' One imagines them: a small fire of eucalyptus branches in the immense cave of the southern night, beneath the drift and icy prickle of unfamiliar stars; the secret bush noises beyond the outer ring of firelight - rustle of grass, flutter and croaking of nocturnal birds -- all sharpened and magnified by fear...”
Greenhill was eventually killed by Pearce, who was finally recaptured.
Notable quotes from The Fatal Shore.
(ISBN 0-394-75366-6)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's settlement of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
with convicts. The book details the period 1770 onwards through white settlement to the 1840s, when Australia was established as a European outpost. The book explains many of the origins of the Australian character and being, such as the Australian support for Bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
s, the underdog and the dislike between the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and their religions. It won the WH Smith Literary Award
WH Smith Literary Award
The WH Smith Literary Award was an award founded in 1959 by British high street retailer W H Smith. Its founding aim was stated to be to "encourage and bring international esteem to authors of the British Commonwealth"; originally open to all residents of the UK, the Commonwealth and the Republic...
in 1988.
The book focuses on the historical, political and sociological reasons that led to British settlement. The book has five key directions:
- The difficulty of transportation in the 1780s and of hardship endured in establishing the colony.
- The nature of the convict population, and their relationship with the colonial authorities, and with free settlers.
- The interaction between the colonists and AboriginesIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. - Other penal colonies including Norfolk IslandNorfolk IslandNorfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
and Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, and the torturous life of the convicts there. - The establishment of social institutions that would shape Australian society and cultureCulture of AustraliaThe culture of Australia is essentially a Western culture influenced by the unique geography of the Australian continent and by the diverse input of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and various waves of multi-ethnic migration which followed the British colonisation of Australia...
.
Though scholarly in the depth of its research, The Fatal Shore has been prized for the fine quality of its writing, particularly in evoking the harshness of life experienced both by convicts and would-be escapees. The following passage describes the final hours of an escapee from Macquarie Harbour, one of two men left from an original group of eight, who turned to cannibalism for survival:
“When Pearce stopped, so did Greenhill. When one squatted, so did the other. There was no question of sleep. 'I watched Greenhill for two nights, and I thought he eyed me more than usual.' One imagines them: a small fire of eucalyptus branches in the immense cave of the southern night, beneath the drift and icy prickle of unfamiliar stars; the secret bush noises beyond the outer ring of firelight - rustle of grass, flutter and croaking of nocturnal birds -- all sharpened and magnified by fear...”
Greenhill was eventually killed by Pearce, who was finally recaptured.
Notable quotes from The Fatal Shore.
- Britain “had hoped that transportationConvictism in AustraliaDuring the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government. One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their...
would do four things: sublimate, deter, reform and colonise.”
- The book's title refers to Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, and comes from a contemporary ballad.
(ISBN 0-394-75366-6)
