Issue Details: First known date: 1833... 1833 Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia, and Van Dieman's Land : During the Years 1830, 1831, 1832, and 1833
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

"Breton states that his object in writing this account of trips in 1830-33 to Western Australia, Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales is to convey an accurate picture of different settlements for prospective immigrants. His narrative, therefore, is almost entirely confined to describing comprehensively each of the settlement, including Swan River, Bathurst, Bong Bong, Port Macquarie, Wollongong, Parramatta, Moreton Bay, Sydney, Hobart and Launceston. He discusses such topics as soil, climate, wild life, scenery, roads and rivers, indicating that he was generally unimpressed with what he saw. He describes the Aborigines at some length and includes an account of his participation in the Tasmanian black line in 1830" (Walsh and Hooton 26).

Source

Walsh, Kay and Joy Hooton. Australian Autobiographical Narratives : An Annotated Bibliography. Canberra : Australian Scholarly Editions Centre, University College, ADFA and National Library of Australia, 1993.

Affiliation Notes

  • 19th-Century Australian Travel Writing

    British Army Officer, Lieutenant William Henry Breton (1799-1889), travelled to Australia as part of the 4th Regiment of Foot. This account of his travels to the colonies is situated in opposition to other works about Australia that the author refers to as "bright illusions" (v), which had encouraged his journey. Breton offered what he called a "brief and unvarnished account" of the colonies, which included direct discussion of colonial violence between Aboriginal people and settlers. He described the journey from England to Sydney and included the writings of Flinders and Dampier in his text (to comment on the coasts and Aboriginal people respectively), Hobart Town, Launceston, and concluded with information about the comparative advantages of the colonies. The publisher Richard Bentley brought out three rapid and revised editions of this book, part of a series of travel publications designed to satisfy the British desire for information about the Australian colonies. Breton also published Scandinavian Sketches, or, A Tour in Norway (1835).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Richard Bentley ,
      1833 .
      Extent: xii, 476p., [1] leaf of platesp.
      Description: illus.
      Note/s:
      • Copy held at the National Library part of the Ferguson Collection (no. 1631).

      Holdings

      Held at: Australian Museum Australian Museum Research Library
      Local Id: RB D919.94042/BRE/RARE BOOKS

      Holdings

      Held at: Monash University Monash University Library
      Local Id: 919.4 B844E

      Holdings

      Held at: Murdoch University Murdoch Campus Library
      Local Id: QX 994.02 B844 1

      Holdings

      Held at: National Library of Australia
      Local Id: FC F1631

      Holdings

      Held at: Newcastle Region Libraries Newcastle Library
      Local Id: RS919.4/BRE/1.1A

      Holdings

      Held at: Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Inc Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Library
      Local Id: rga 919.4 B844

      Holdings

      Held at: South Australian Museum SA Museum Library

      Holdings

      Held at: Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW
      Local Id: DSM/980.1/215A1

      Holdings

      Held at: State Library of South Australia State Library of SA
      Local Id: 919.4 B844

      Holdings

      Held at: University of Melbourne The University Library
      Local Id: 919.4042 BRET

      Holdings

      Held at: State Library of Tasmania State Library of Tasmania
      Local Id: CRO 919.4 BRE
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Richard Bentley ,
      1834 .
      Extent: xii, 420p.p.
      Edition info: 2nd ed., with additions.
      Description: illus.
      Note/s:
      • Ferguson no. 1745
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Richard Bentley ,
      1835 .
      Extent: 420p.
      Edition info: Third ed.
      Note/s:
      • Ferguson no. 1891
Last amended 14 Mar 2022 15:05:50
Subjects:
  • New South Wales,
  • Van Diemen's Land (1803-1856), Tasmania,
  • Western Australia,
  • 1831-1833
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