Cirrus@Austlit

19th-Century Australian Travel Writing

Assistant-surgeon Thomas Bartlett (1812-1862) (51^st Light Infantry, under Sir Benjamin D’Urban) asserted in New Holland that there was no subject less understood in Great Britain than the colonial empire. Written with an authoritative tone, New Holland was not only an account of the productions and resources of the Australian colonies, but also a realistic description of emigration and the difficulties the intending emigrant may face. For his frank outline of both positive and negative aspects of emigration, the Australasian Chronicle recommended “a diligent perusal of Mr. Bartlett's book to every person who thinks of becoming an emigrant” (1843); the Southern Australian declared that the choice of an obsolete geographical term reveals the writer’s ignorance of his subject (1844). Bartlett provided observations of colonisation in general, and also highlighted the value in the weakening relationship between Great Britain and Australia. The book concluded with a criticism of the weakness of large empires and the expense of colonies. Although he criticises agriculture in Britain, Bartlett also outlined the benefits of nations growing food for home consumption.