There Were Three Ships

Description

Three shiploads of settlers sail for a magnificent, isolated bay to establish a Utopia. But Australia, the oldest continent, settled by Europeans less than 100 years before, strikes back at the intruders through its climate, terrain and first people. Here in full for the first time is the story of the ill-fated Camden Harbour expedition of 1864-65. The harbour lies in a region of Western Australia that hides ancient Aboriginal art deep in caves in its sandstone escarpment. It is barely visited even today. Yet early explorers gave it glowing praise. It was a glittering promise for 124 men, women and children more used to small-town life - and condemned some to their deaths in a sub-tropical wilderness and marked the lives of all. Comments from historians and academics include: "Rescued from oblivion - a fascinating piece of Australian history." "Sound, comprehensive, full of human interest, as well as historical insight . . . The style of writing is fluent and pacy." Winner of the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Local History Award. The book is a travel guide to mid-19th century Western Australia, covering the story of the Kimberley region of WA, including its rich Aboriginal tradition, and the advance of incoming Europeans interested in big pastoral developments. With maps and illustrations. Lloyd's List International notes: "An emigration over 3,750 miles in the mid-19th century would usually be assumed to be an Atlantic Ocean crossing to America. That the Camden Harbour emigration was from one part of Australia to the far north-west of the land, underlines the sheer size of the country." The author says: "In a five-decade career as a journalist, I have written from four continents. Back in my homeland of Australia, I decided to unravel a story closer to me. How two of my forbears, from Cornwall, put life and savings at risk in a bold and ultimately doomed venture. "The exploit was only vague gossip in my family. The final tale that I discovered gripped the imagination of all of us. We had become one of the millions of threads weaving the history of this country."