It's just two years since the Eureka Rebellion. Former miners and ex-convicts are joining with new immigrants to challenge the 20-year domination by squatters in the developing Western District of Victoria.
Traditional Aboriginal life has been irreversibly changed.
These are the forces at play in the young township of Colac at the start of 1857. Professional historian Dawn Peel takes us through the following twelve months with a factual and fascinating account of power, religion, class and race in both this local area and the fledgling Victorian colony during its first full year of responsible government.
Key personalities and the social life of a colonial township are also illustrated as Year of Hope creates a detailed vignette of this pivotal year.
Dr Peel has uncovered a wealth of primary sources and other data during her extensive research for this academic and readable study of a key settlement at a vital moment in history.
Includes lists of 1300 Colac residents of 1857.
1857 Year Of Hope In The Colac District Dawn Peel Paperback 2006 GD
