19th-Century Australian Travel Writing
Edward B. Kennedy's Four Years in Queensland was written in response to his friend's questions from England as to what Queensland was like. Kennedy prefaced his work by stating that the best way of answering these enquiries was to jot down his experiences, the result being this travel narrative. Kennedy did not attempt to present his work in a scientific or political manner, but rather he sought to describe the colony for intending emigrants at what he saw to be an opportune time to move to Australia. The work presented an account of bush life in Queensland, including the climate, Aboriginal peoples, flora, fauna, agriculture, and mining. It concluded with a description of the New Land Act and the prospects of the colony.
