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The Luck of the Irish
The author of the bestselling Cargo of Women and Australia's Birthstain tracks the lives of Irish convicts who arrived in Australia the mid-1800s, uncovering a longlasting influence of the Irish convicts on our national character.
Description
The luck of the Irish was chronic bad luck, as their sad history attests. That's how it looked for 250 Irish convicts when their ship, the Hive, sank ignominiously off the NSW coast in 1835. Miraculously all survived, guided to safety by local Aboriginal people.
They landed at a time when the so-called slave colony was at its height, ruled by the lash and the chain gang. Yet as Babette Smith tracked the lives of the people aboard the Hive, she discovered a very different story. Most were assigned to work on farms or in businesses, building a better life than they possibly could have experienced in Ireland. Surprisingly, in the workforce they found power, which gave rise to the characteristic Australian culture later described by DH Lawrence: 'Nobody felt better than anybody else, or higher.'
The Luck of the Irish is a fascinating portrait of colonial life in the mid-19th century, which reveals how the Irish helped lay the foundations of the Australia we know today.
Description
The luck of the Irish was chronic bad luck, as their sad history attests. That's how it looked for 250 Irish convicts when their ship, the Hive, sank ignominiously off the NSW coast in 1835. Miraculously all survived, guided to safety by local Aboriginal people.
They landed at a time when the so-called slave colony was at its height, ruled by the lash and the chain gang. Yet as Babette Smith tracked the lives of the people aboard the Hive, she discovered a very different story. Most were assigned to work on farms or in businesses, building a better life than they possibly could have experienced in Ireland. Surprisingly, in the workforce they found power, which gave rise to the characteristic Australian culture later described by DH Lawrence: 'Nobody felt better than anybody else, or higher.'
The Luck of the Irish is a fascinating portrait of colonial life in the mid-19th century, which reveals how the Irish helped lay the foundations of the Australia we know today.
292 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 9, 2017
This is an interesting, thought-provoking look at colonial Australia that challenges commonly-held beliefs about convicts and the Irish. It is quite academic and well-referenced but, at the same time, surprisingly readable.
March 27, 2018
This book does make you re-think your perceptions of what convicts were by really highlighting what the actually did. Collectively and as individuals the Irish convicts and families impacted and shaped their time and echoes still now, but this book challenges and helps us discover the ways in which they did. I have to say following the individual Irish from the Hive shipwreck is not easy from chapter to chapter. Not all chapters outline easily what they will address to begin with, but at the end of each an understanding can be reached. The examples, or stories to highlight different aspects of early life also adds to make this tougher going. BUT it so vividly and surprising real, it was a great read.
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April 1, 2017Not as good as the title makes you believe. Recommend if you like Australian history
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews