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Critial Review Extract ‘Convicts, Jailers and Colonists’ 1779-1821 from the Book , Sources of Australian History(1971)

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Critial Review Extract ‘Convicts, Jailers and Colonists’ 1779-1821 from the Book , Sources of Australian History(1971)
Colonial Experiment 1788 – 1918
Assignment 1 - Review

In the extract ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists’ 1779-1821 from the book , Sources of Australian History(1971), the Author Manning Clark uses the primary resource from Lord Sydney to the lords and commissioners of the treasury in 1786 to support the text which discusses the problem of overcrowded jails in England and the proposal for a convict colony in Australia in 1784 – 1786.
The primary resource is a dispatch that was spoken by Lord Sydney to the Lords and commissioners of the treasury on the 18th of August 1786 in White hall, announcing the decision of the British Government to establish a convict colony at Botany Bay. Along with many other Books and journals such as Manning Clarks, Sources of Australian History (1971), the Dispatch from Lord Sydney was originally printed in the Historical records of New South Wales.

In this review, I summarize the source and analyses what relation it has to the historical subject as well as what the article says about the aspect of history it addresses.

Critical Analysis –

In the primary source Lord Sydney to the Lords and commissioners of the treasury, the text implies that Lord Sydney is speaking to the Lords of the treasury on behalf of the King for the funding of the expedition of a new settlement for convicts. The text shows that the over occupied jails in the state of Britain were so full that the king of England had decided that measures be taken immediately in relocating the convicts. Originally the idea been proposed to send the convicts to south Africa, however after sending out a scout ship it was discovered that the area that was desired for settlement was too sandy and barren among other reasons for being unfit. Lord Sydney (1786) then goes on to discuss how instead the convict settlement would be on the Land known as Botany Bay as discovered by James Cook. Lord Sydney(1786) then states on behalf of the king that the treasury supply the



References: Clark, M (ed) 1971, ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists 1779-1821’, In Sources of Australian History, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, pp. 60-75. Bibliography Clark, M (ed) 1971, ‘Convicts, jailers and colonists 1779-1821’, In Sources of Australian History, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, pp. 60-75. Lord Sydney to the Lords commissioners of the treasury, on the 18th of August 1786, White hall, Historical records of New South Wales, Vol.1 pt. 2 at pp. 14 - 19

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