The Australian People 1788 - 1945

Fitzpatrick, B.

Uitg. Melbourne University Press, hardcover with dustjacket.

Preface

The object of this short history is to give a picture of Australia as the Australians have made it in successive phases since the fust white settlement in 1788. The picture is painted from three different points of observation, in as many 'books'. The first of these, 'Perspectives', tries to give a bird's eye view of the whole historical procession. The idea is that when the reader comes to the third book, 'Story,' he will be able to see personalities and happenings in due proportion. The book called 'Process', in between, is a sketch of Australian economic history. The main part is the 'Story,' done at nearly twice the length of the others together. Perhaps the reader to whom the present volume is his first introduction to the history and institutions of Australia would do best to read first chapters one and four, which do not suppose previous knowledge, and then pass to chapter fifteen and the rest of the 'Story.