Backbencher

Lecture 4 was both the settlement of Australia and New Zealand. We also covered the great myth history of Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, we learned that there were convicts that were sent from Europe. William McNeil and Austin Fife made up aspects of history of the countries, which were essentially myths. Three colonies of convicts were established: New South Wales in 1788, Van Diemann's Land in 1812, and Western Australia in 1829. These convicts were required to work and were rewarded with land if their work was “Good enough.” Agriculture in this time was very difficult. Ranching and different methods came about during this time. Ancestors of Australians were mostly convicts which is still important in Australian history today. New Zealand was kind of like the “ideal society.” It was a systematic colony, well behaved families, which came from the great Edward Gibbon Wakefield. Also, we talked about the five colonies which include Port Nicholson, Canterbury, Otago, Nelson, and Taranaki. The gold rush then played a major factor, overwhelming the economic growth and hardship. Unlike Australia, New Zealand did not want anything to do with convicts in their ancestry. Their pride would obviously diminish and would be looked at in a strangely manner by others.

I was very interested in the settlement of these two. I had no clue Australians take pride in coming from convicts. Today of course, things change and people would not like it if they are related to convicts. Also the colonies that were established and information about them was something I did not know. But one question, why are these two so different from each other, but so closely related, not just with this lecture but with the previous lectures as well.