Backbencher

Lecture 4 starts out talking about the settlement of convicts and pilgrims. You talked about Sidney being a convict settlement, the slide show of the opera house was awesome it makes me want to travel there even more. The lecture continues to talk about the Mythistory in Australia and New Zealand. William McNeil talked about historians being myth meters. Somewhat Australia and New Zealand’s history is based in myth. Next was the way Great Brittan went about transporting convicts to other places. (Cook) There was known potential off Botany Bay for settlement. Due to the American revolution Great Britain couldn't bring their convicts to USA now. So some colonies were founded as a result. They were: New South Wales (est. 1788), Van Diemen's Land (1812), and Western Australia (1829). Most of the convicts were Irish republicans; they worked up to 56 hrs a week. Next the lecture talks about the transition and abolition of the convict settlements and the last transport to be sent in 1868 to Western Australia. Next is the planned colonization of New Zealand. The idea of a reproduction of English life, only better. Some of the colonies were Nelson (1841), Caterbury (1850), Otago. (1848). my overall question was why the Australians take pride in their criminal/convict backgrounds.