Early Australian History

Early Australian History: Convict Life in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land by Charles White, first published in 1889. Series of Historical Sketches, upon Australian Colonization and Convict Life in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. Van 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. In Tasmania, from beginnings of the darkest moral shade, and now that the old order has changed, beneficent and flourishing, from surroundings of the most favorable character-from conditions of private, social and public life of which any nation might be proud-look out upon the fast-fading picture of the past, and marvel exceedingly at the change. "Read me anything but history," said Walpole; "that is sure to be false." And a good many in Australia living at the present day would give plenty to create a distance for and hatred of colonial history.