Nineteenth-Century Travel Writing
Glimpses of Life in the Colony of Victoria was published anonymously by "A Resident," although its authorship has been attributed to grazier, photographer and ethnographic collector, John Hunter Kerr (1820-1874). Published in 1872, this extensive work was written retrospectively and divided into two parts. The first provided an account of the Resident's arrival in Victoria and their introduction to bush life in 1839. The second contrasts this with a description of contemporary Victoria that was presented as a place where the quality of life had improved across 30 years. Through this travel narrative, the author described the bush, bushrangers, Melbourne, gold mining, the Aboriginal population, as well as general advice for intending emigrants. This work was illustrated with engravings that were predominantly ethnographic, depicting Aboriginal customs and weapons.
