A history of Australia, Vol. 1: From the earliest times to the age of Macquarie
by Manning Clark
A History of Australia (1)
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Manning Clark's six-volume history is one of the masterpieces of Australian writing. It is also one of the most passionately debated visions of Australian history, in which the struggle to realise an Australian nation is played out on an epic scale. A History of Australia: 1824-1888, takes the story of Australia through the momentous discovery of gold and the separation of Victoria from New South Wales, to the centenary of the coming of European civilisation to Australia on 26 January 1888. show more The story is one of destruction as well as construction-the destruction of the Aborigines and the construction of an essentially English bourgeois society and the taming of an alien and seemingly sterile land. This is not a general Australian history-it does not attempt to cover all aspects-and it is not a definitive or quantitative analysis. It is a work of art, a living and breathing account of the remaking of a primitive continent, history come alive. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
reread this after first reading it some 40 years ago.
covers some prehistory, Indigenous before European ((and other) visitations and early colonialism through to macquarie.
It reads far more favourable to the Indigenous plight than I remembered.
Not a rip roaring read, but I will continue with the remaining volumes.
Big Ship
June 2024
covers some prehistory, Indigenous before European ((and other) visitations and early colonialism through to macquarie.
It reads far more favourable to the Indigenous plight than I remembered.
Not a rip roaring read, but I will continue with the remaining volumes.
Big Ship
June 2024
The first part of Manning Clark's famous history of Australia. Not a review, but some notes:
- Clark appears to be hung up on religion. He returns to it often.
- MacQuarie comes across as a reformer, but with lots of faults. It's not clear whether Clark sides against him, and with the English masters, that the colony was for the convicts and that any opportunities for redemption were forfeited when they were convicted, let alone that a 'return to society' could occur. I suspect not; but Clark does not appear positive about the outcome of MacQuarie's work.
- In the chapters on exploration before Australia was 'found' Clark pays no attention to what the French explorers achieved. Perhaps this is what Lesley Marchant, Western Australian show more historian, was so stroppy about. show less
- Clark appears to be hung up on religion. He returns to it often.
- MacQuarie comes across as a reformer, but with lots of faults. It's not clear whether Clark sides against him, and with the English masters, that the colony was for the convicts and that any opportunities for redemption were forfeited when they were convicted, let alone that a 'return to society' could occur. I suspect not; but Clark does not appear positive about the outcome of MacQuarie's work.
- In the chapters on exploration before Australia was 'found' Clark pays no attention to what the French explorers achieved. Perhaps this is what Lesley Marchant, Western Australian show more historian, was so stroppy about. show less
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- Canonical title
- A history of Australia, Vol. 1: From the earliest times to the age of Macquarie
- People/Characters
- Lachlan Macquarie
- Important places
- Australia; New South Wales, Australia
- Epigraph
- Since Copernicus man rolls from the centre into X. -F. Nietzsche: The Will To Power
All the wealth of love lavished of old upon Him, who was immortal, would be turned upon the whole of nature, on the world, on men, on every blade of grass. -F. M. Dostoevsky: A Raw Youth - First words
- Civilization did not begin in Australia until the last quarter of the eighteenth century.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Though he did not lack the strength to endure such suffering with dignity, in fighting for what he believed to be his true deserts, he almost brought himself to derision.
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- DO NOT combine the part with the whole. Vol. 1 is not the same thing as Vol. 2 which is not the same as Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5, Vol. 6, abridged edition, or complete Vol. 1-6, or even any assortment thereof. So, unless they... (show all) are the same, please DO NOT combine.
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- 75
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- 420,470
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.30)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 5
