he colonisation of Australia, and in particular first contact in the Sydney basin area is well documented with good collections of primary source material. Historical sources that document the time can include:
WIKIPEDIA:
If you are new to the topic, you might like to consult Wikipedia for an historical overview of the colonisation of Australia: See the article History of Australia (1788-1850). Take note also of several articles to link to including Australian Frontier Wars.
Use Wikipedia to:
- Visual images including maps
- Newspaper articles
- Government papers
- Diaries, memoirs and other accounts
- Paintings and drawings
WIKIPEDIA:
If you are new to the topic, you might like to consult Wikipedia for an historical overview of the colonisation of Australia: See the article History of Australia (1788-1850). Take note also of several articles to link to including Australian Frontier Wars.
Use Wikipedia to:
- Develop your KEYWORD search strategy.
- Find good source materials
- Organise your ideas and thoughts on your chosen topic - the above articles present an overview of the times and allow background knowledge to kick start your research.
- Find links to other references and resources. (Scroll to the bottom of the Wikipedia pages to access links to further resources) Other references that are useful include documents by and about different important people of the period including prominent convicts.
- Wikimedia Commons contains excellent access to primary source photographs, maps and illustrations from the time. May Commons illustrations appear in the Wikipedia articles.
SSCL Print Collection
All print resources are located in the First Nations Collection.
John Maynard & Victoria Haskins. (2016). Living with the locals: early Europeans' experience of indigenous life (994.02 MAY)
Broome, Richard. Aboriginal Australians: A history since 1788 (994 BRO)
Parbury, Nigel. Survival: a history of Aboriginal life since 1788 (994.4 PAR)
Pascoe, Bruce. Young Dark Emu (338.1 PAS)
Irish, Paul. Hidden in plain view: the Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney (994.41/IRI)
John Maynard & Victoria Haskins. (2016). Living with the locals: early Europeans' experience of indigenous life (994.02 MAY)
Broome, Richard. Aboriginal Australians: A history since 1788 (994 BRO)
Parbury, Nigel. Survival: a history of Aboriginal life since 1788 (994.4 PAR)
Pascoe, Bruce. Young Dark Emu (338.1 PAS)
Irish, Paul. Hidden in plain view: the Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney (994.41/IRI)
Convicts
The convict experience (SLNSW)
Convicts: Life in the colony (SLNSW)
Convicts (National Library of Australia)
Convict punishments (Convict Creations)
Convicts and the colonisation of Australia
Convict records of Australia
How convicts shaped Australian democracy (Lens)
The convict's colony (Sydney Museum)
Convict legacy in Australia (Convict creations)
The convicts who shaped Australian democracy (ABC)
Convicts: Life in the colony (SLNSW)
Convicts (National Library of Australia)
Convict punishments (Convict Creations)
Convicts and the colonisation of Australia
Convict records of Australia
How convicts shaped Australian democracy (Lens)
The convict's colony (Sydney Museum)
Convict legacy in Australia (Convict creations)
The convicts who shaped Australian democracy (ABC)
Transportation and arrival
Transportation and arrival (NLA)
Objects through time. Search by date.
Early European settlement (NSW Parliament)
Migration to Australia in 1800's (SLNSW)
First farms (SLNSW)
Objects through time. Search by date.
Early European settlement (NSW Parliament)
Migration to Australia in 1800's (SLNSW)
First farms (SLNSW)
Impacts of Colonisation on Aboriginal people
Colonisation: Dispossession, disease and direct conflict. (Australians Together) KEY RESOURCE
Changing policies towards aboriginal people. Aboriginal societies - the experience of Contact. (Australian Law reform Commission)
First Australians
Convicts and the colonisation of New South Wales (scroll down to 'Black and White')
Aboriginal Heritage Office: a brief Aboriginal history (Scroll down to Disease and devastation)
Traditional Aboriginal Lifestyle after British Colonisation KEY RESOURCE
Smallpox epidemic (National Museum of Australia)
Australian Frontier conflicts 1788-1940s
List of massacres of Indigenous Australians (Wikipedia)
Convicts and colonisers: the early history of Australia (History Extra) Dec 2010.
Australian agriculture and rural life (SLNSW)
Changing policies towards aboriginal people. Aboriginal societies - the experience of Contact. (Australian Law reform Commission)
First Australians
Convicts and the colonisation of New South Wales (scroll down to 'Black and White')
Aboriginal Heritage Office: a brief Aboriginal history (Scroll down to Disease and devastation)
Traditional Aboriginal Lifestyle after British Colonisation KEY RESOURCE
Smallpox epidemic (National Museum of Australia)
Australian Frontier conflicts 1788-1940s
List of massacres of Indigenous Australians (Wikipedia)
Convicts and colonisers: the early history of Australia (History Extra) Dec 2010.
Australian agriculture and rural life (SLNSW)
William Dawes
Here is an example of the sources you can find for individual people that documented the early colonisation of Sydney. Use your research to find others that were impacted by colonisation.
The notebooks of William Dawes
William Dawes Biography (Australian dictionary of Biography)
A few words from William Dawes and George Bass (National Library of Australia) Volume XVIII n Number 9 n June 2008 pages 7-10
Gibson, Ross. The language notebooks of William Dawes (Meanjin) Volume 68, Number 2, 2009
Indigenous languages collection (SLNSW)
William Dawes Biography (Australian dictionary of Biography)
A few words from William Dawes and George Bass (National Library of Australia) Volume XVIII n Number 9 n June 2008 pages 7-10
Gibson, Ross. The language notebooks of William Dawes (Meanjin) Volume 68, Number 2, 2009
Indigenous languages collection (SLNSW)
Videos
First Australian: They have come to Stay (Ep 1) (3 clips)
Early encounters between European colonisers and first Australians (ABC)
The Murnong story (ABC)
Early encounters between European colonisers and first Australians (ABC)
The Murnong story (ABC)