19th-Century Australian Travel Writing
The preface to The Life and Labours of George Washington Walker, by James Backhouse (1794–1869), and Charles Tylor (1816-1902), explains Backhouse and Tylor’s role as editors, stating that they "have done little more than make selections from his papers, which consist chiefly of letters, and a journal kept during his travels with James Backhouse in the Southern Hemisphere" (iii). The work begins with Walker's early life, and describes the voyage to Tasmania, as well as extensive travel within the colony (including to New Norfolk, Flinders Island, Launceston) as well as to New South Wales, Sydney, Norfolk Island, Victoria, and Western Australia. Outside Australia, Walker travelled to, and extensively within, South Africa. Backhouse also wrote A Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies (1843).
