The history of the birth of Australia which came out of the suffering and brutality of England’s infamous convict transportation system. With 16 pages of illustrations and 3 maps. Draws on diverse original materials to recount the European settlement of Australia, from the 1788 landing of the first prison fleet to 1868.For 80 years between 1788 and 1868 England transported its convicts to Australia. This punishment provided the first immigrants and the work force to build the colony. Using diaries, letters, and original sources, Hughes meticulously documents this history. All sides of the story are told: the political and social reasoning behind the Transportation System, the viewpoint of the captains who had the difficult job of governing and developing the colonies, and of course the dilemma of the prisoners. This is a very thorough and accurate history of Australian colonization written by the author of the book and BBC/Time-Life TV series The Shock of the New . A definitive work that is an essential purchase for both public and academic libraries. ABORIGINAL STUDIES 020415