Backbencher

Lecture 4 is entitled Settlements: Convicts and Pilgrams. In lecture 4 we talked about the settlement of Australia and New Zealand by Europeans. The settlement of Australia began with the introduction of convicts from Britains prisons as the first permanent European settlers. The first settlers faced many hardships in trying to establish an agricultural economy, but found other opportunites in enterprises such as ranching. Today Australians take pride in knowing that their ancestors were convicts sent there by Britain.

However the settlement of New Zealand was seen as more of an organized settlement where they bargained fairly with the Maori to get land to set up settlements. However New Zealanders still believe that their origins have created a country where planned settlement has created a more "perfect" society.

This lecture was interesting in that i thought about how the origins of a country affect their history. Both the U.S. and Canada were former British colonies, yet our own history is much different from that of Canada. And so it is with Australia and New Zealand. Australia being founded by convicts and New Zealand being founded on a planned settlement idea

-Ron LaMere