Author Description

Comprehensive history of attempts to establish a settlement for Tasmanian Aborigines at Swan Island, Gun Carriage Island, The Lagoons and Wybalenna; discusses living conditions, administration and facilities; removal to Oyster Cove; assessment of the aims and results of the settlement including health, birth-rate, morbidity, government policy and Aboriginal responses; includes the texts of journals and reports by J. Backhouse and G.W. Walker; the Wybalenna journal of George Robinson Jnr, 1839 and the edited transcript of G.A. Robinsons journal, 1835-39, with annotations; Appendices include a list of all Aboriginal names, aliases and biographical information; medical histories, European biographical data, letters of W.J. Darling, material from the Flinders Island chronicle and other Aboriginal writings.