Australia, its history and present condition containing an account both of the bush and of the colonies, with their respective inhabitants

About this book

The work is a nineteenth‑century survey of Australia and Tasmania, written by the Rev. William Pridden, a vicar and M.A. who never set foot on the continent. The opening pages explain that the author has compiled his account from a wide range of contemporary sources, explorers such as Captains Grey and Sturt, the reports of parliamentary committees, and the writings of missionaries and judges, so that he can present a “total stranger’s” view of the colonies. The book is organized into a detailed contents list, beginning with a geographical introduction and moving through chapters on the bush, rivers, native peoples, colonial settlements, religion, and the administration of the penal system. The preface stresses a moral purpose: to contrast “savage” and “civilised” life and to argue for religious instruction as a remedy for the evils he perceives in the colonies.

Pridden’s voice is that of a Victorian clergyman, earnest and didactic, steeped in the language of his era with frequent references to “civilisation,” “moral restraint,” and the “glory of God.” The style is dense, heavily footnoted, and framed by a strong Anglican bias, reflecting the concerns of early‑1840s Britain about empire, missionary work, and penal reform. Readers who enjoy exhaustive historical compilations, primary‑source‑driven narratives, and the moralistic tone of early colonial literature will find this volume rewarding, while those seeking a modern, neutral travelogue may prefer a more contemporary account.