A David and Goliath story. Colonists who wanted no more British convicts were up against the might of the British Empire, which was supremely indifferent to the wishes of a group of despised colonists at the far end of the world. Governor Denison used whatever means he could to sience them: threats...
Books
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Published:2022 -
Published:2022A biography of Max Angus, much-loved Tasmanian icon, painter and environmentalist. Born in Tasmania of convict stock, Max Angus had to leave school at fourteen to earn a living. He became a commercial artist, then during the Second World War served in the intelligence department of the Australian...
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Published:2019The biography of much-loved painter Patricia Giles, who from the 1950s brought the wilderness to Tasmanians in her watercolours. Painted from the heart, they show her love for the Tasmanian bush. In 2022 this book won the $25,000 Dick and John Green Award for Tasmanian history.
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Published:2015South Hobart is a charming suburb with a fascinating history: industrial activity, the Female Factory, developing residential areas amid great scenic beauty.
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Published:2015Hobart’s first tycoons and how they got there – a story of widespread corruption by almost everyone in early Van Diemen’s Land.
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Published:2013From 1917 to 1939 Marie Bjelke-Petersen published nine heart-throbbing, pulsating romantic novels set mainly in Tasmania – though she herself was a lesbian.
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Published:2013What a woman! Intelligent, capable if eccentric, interested in everything from ridding Tasmania of snakes to building a Greek museum – and finding her husband’s fate.
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Published:2012Aborigines, bushrangers, convicts, grasping landowners, embezzling town clerk, publicans, sportsmen and women – the Southern Midlands has them all.
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Published:2010Tasmania started as the society with the most felons: what effect did this have? This book describes the convict system and its results, up to the present.
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Published:2010The care of children with handicaps, and attitudes to them, has changed enormously since the 1950s, but the love and devotion at Oak Tasmania remain unaltered.
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Published:2010The University of Tasmania’s first residential college, founded in 1950: student life, pranks, work, and changing attitudes.
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Published:2009A legal firm, starting in early colonial days, developing and growing into a modern dynamic firm.
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Published:2006Just the history of the council, not the whole city: how the administration and its activities changed over a century and a half.
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Published:2006
An early agricultural area, now partly urbanised, with many fascinating aspects: Australia’s oldest family farm, Hobart’s first aerodrome, a vibrant modern council.
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Published:2006Old age care has changed immensely since the home was opened – a fascinating story of dedicated care and adaptation to change.
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Published:2005A compendium of 1075 articles by 105 covering every aspect of Tasmania’s history.
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Published:2003
Everything possible about Clarence: city and country, agriculture and industry, sport, schools, big events, the way people have lived, churches, hospitals, wartime …
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Published:2001The lives of Australia’s women, recreated from many stories sent in to the Office of the Status of Women in Canberra.
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Published:2000The activities of uni students over a century, from pranks to serious pursuits – and those pranks of the 1920s were pretty exciting.
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Published:2000In fact the story of many Tasmanian credit unions which united to form Island State, now part of MyState.
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Published:1999A photographic collection illustrating the activities of students over a century.
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Published:1998This was my first commissioned history. Glenorchy is the northern half of Hobart, and has always had a distinct personality of its own, less public service and government than Hobart, more industrial and working-class. I grew up there and have a fond spot for it. In 1983 the Glenorchy City Council...
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Published:1998From convict to tinsmith to industrialist/shopkeeper, developing one of Tasmania’s biggest businesses which remained in the family for three generations, but is now gone.
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Published:1996The oldest continuing school in Australia, Launceston Grammar has a great story: different educational styles, headmasters, varied students and background situations.
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Published:1996What a wonderful time I had writing this book, the story of a marvellous community club, its highs and lows, premierships and wooden spoons.
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Published:1994A short history of only twelve years, but a fascinating story of training all sorts of people for maritime activity.
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Published:1992The Zinc Works has a fascinating story: from the pioneer activity of 1916 to the huge giant, Hobart’s largest employer, of the 1950s, then change under different owners.
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Published:1991The Zinc Works bosses combatted unionism by employer-worker united action. They set up a community council to organise welfare schemes, and this is its story.
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Published:1986
A school text book for primary schools, now out of print.
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Published:1986What stories of immorality and corruption I uncovered researching and writing this book! The most popular book I have written
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Published:1986The second volume of Glenorchy’s history, as it develops in size, population and activities from 1964 to 1998 ,when it was threatened with amalgamation with Hobart.
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Published:1979From 1910 to 1942 Mary Grant Bruce wrote 38 children’s books, notably the Billabong series, much-loved classics of Australia station life.