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Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World
In 1788 a young gentlewoman raised in the vicarage of an English village married a handsome, haughty and penniless army officer. In any Austen novel that would be the end of the story, but for the real-life woman who became an Australian farming entrepreneur, it was just the beginning.
John Macarthur took credit for establishing the Australian wool industry and would feature on the two-dollar note, but it was practical Elizabeth who managed their holdings—while dealing with the results of John’s manias: duels, quarrels, court cases, a military coup, long absences overseas, grandiose construction projects and, finally, his descent into certified insanity.
Michelle Scott Tucker shines a light on an often-overlooked aspect of Australia’s history in this fascinating story of a remarkable woman.
John Macarthur took credit for establishing the Australian wool industry and would feature on the two-dollar note, but it was practical Elizabeth who managed their holdings—while dealing with the results of John’s manias: duels, quarrels, court cases, a military coup, long absences overseas, grandiose construction projects and, finally, his descent into certified insanity.
Michelle Scott Tucker shines a light on an often-overlooked aspect of Australia’s history in this fascinating story of a remarkable woman.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
64 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Scott Tucker
4 books8 followersMichelle is a writer, a mother, a company director, a feminist, a policeman’s wife, a gardener, a management consultant, a horsewoman and an indifferent cook. She lives on a small farm in regional Victoria.
Her biography of farmer Elizabeth Macarthur, “A Life at the Edge of the World” will be published by Text Publishing in 2018 and has been hailed as “A groundbreaking portrait of an ordinary English country woman who would go on to become of Australia’s most significant but little known historical figures.”
Her biography of farmer Elizabeth Macarthur, “A Life at the Edge of the World” will be published by Text Publishing in 2018 and has been hailed as “A groundbreaking portrait of an ordinary English country woman who would go on to become of Australia’s most significant but little known historical figures.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 11, 2018
I first heard of Elizabeth Macarthur when I was ten years old in Grade Five. I’d been in Australia for less than a year, but I was in my third Australian school by then, with the first teacher whose name I can remember and the only one I ever loved. Her name was Miss Baird. She was young and pretty and enthusiastic and kind, and when she asked us to do a project on wool I put my heart and soul into it, to please her. I sent away to the Wood Board for their ‘project kit’, learned ‘all about’ John and Elizabeth Macarthur, and proudly told their story on my project poster, complete with samples of fine merino wool . Miss Baird was so impressed with my efforts she showed it at some conference she went to – and even asked if she could keep it at the end of the year. I wonder what became of it!
At some time in Form One or Two when we did Australian history, John Macarthur stole the show. We learned that he was the Father of the Wool Industry, and though we got a sanitised history of his other more colourful activities such as deposing Governor Bligh, we heard nothing about his wife Elizabeth. My Oxford Dictionary of Australian History mentions her ‘greatly assisting’ her husband in the development of the Australian fine wool industry but says no more, and Thomas Keneally in Australians, Origins to Eureka mentions her quite a few times but mainly as a sensible woman who chronicled events starring her husband. Well, with the publication of Elizabeth Macarthur, a Life at the Edge of the World, no one will be able to get away with that any more. As Clare Wright says in the blurb:
But Tucker does more than that, IMO, because in writing this lively, entertaining and profoundly empathetic biography, she has also brought other colonial women out of the shadows and told their story too.
At some time in Form One or Two when we did Australian history, John Macarthur stole the show. We learned that he was the Father of the Wool Industry, and though we got a sanitised history of his other more colourful activities such as deposing Governor Bligh, we heard nothing about his wife Elizabeth. My Oxford Dictionary of Australian History mentions her ‘greatly assisting’ her husband in the development of the Australian fine wool industry but says no more, and Thomas Keneally in Australians, Origins to Eureka mentions her quite a few times but mainly as a sensible woman who chronicled events starring her husband. Well, with the publication of Elizabeth Macarthur, a Life at the Edge of the World, no one will be able to get away with that any more. As Clare Wright says in the blurb:
Finally, Elizabeth Macarthur steps out from the long shadow of her infamous, entrepreneurial husband. In Michelle Scott Tucker’s devoted hands, Elizabeth emerges as a canny businesswoman, charming diplomat, loving mother and indefatigable survivor. A fascinating, faithful portrait of a remarkable women and the young, volatile colony she helped to build.
But Tucker does more than that, IMO, because in writing this lively, entertaining and profoundly empathetic biography, she has also brought other colonial women out of the shadows and told their story too.
As her daughter’s health improved, Elizabeth turned her energies and focus to the farms. That is not to say, with John away, she hadn’t already been working. Apart from a handful of aristocrats, Elizabeth and the other women of her era never stopped working. They worked every day of their lives and worked extraordinarily hard. The so-called ‘farmer and his wife’ were, in reality, both farmers and then, as now, the wife’s labour inside and outside the home was crucial to the running of the farm and the economic wellbeing of the family. Elizabeth Macarthur was no exception. She was, at that time, again, merely one of a number of women who had sole responsibility for their families’ farms. (p.208)
Tucker quotes Governor Macquarie in 1810 as he toured the outlying districts of Sydney and passed judgement on the state of the farms he visited. Some of them, already overgrazed and poorly maintained, did not meet his high standards. But others clearly met with his approval, including some that were managed by women – including a Mrs Bell and Mrs Laycock and her daughters:That women are farming does not seem in any way remarkable to Macquarie; he merely notes the names and makes some comments in the say way he does for the men’s farms he visits. (p.209)
The fact is that Elizabeth Macarthur managed her farm for long periods of time in her husband’s absence overseas, and in fact it was she not John who despatched the first shipment of fine wool to Britain in 1812. He was away in England for eight years dealing with the fallout of deposing Bligh, while under her discerning eye, the Macarthurs’ pioneering breeding regime, for fleece rather than meat, was finally paying dividends. She got a good price for that first shipment but the financial gains were soon lost by John whose imprudence meant he was in debt and relying on Elizabeth to keep him in funds. It was Elizabeth who kept the first merino stud book, and – tougher than her foolish husband – she was the only married woman of the period in the records to sue in her own name for the non-payment of debts.
Tucker’s awareness of gender issues is refreshing...
To see the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/03/12/e...
September 10, 2019
Elizabeth Macarthur was born in 1766 in the village of Bridgerule in Devon. With her husband John (1767?-1834) and eldest son Edward, in 1790 she sailed to the colony of New South Wales on the convict ship Scarborough; she was the only woman on board. For sixty years, she ran the family farm in Parramatta, west of Sydney town. The house and gardens of her farm, aptly named “Elizabeth Farm,” are now in public hands and can be visited—though inexplicably, I’ve never been there. Her husband and sons went back and forth to England, but Elizabeth never returned. In 1850, she died in her daughter and son-in-law’s house at Watson’s Bay outside Sydney, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Just yesterday I learned (from the ABC’s Landline program) that 95% of Australian farms are still family-owned and run. But, as Michelle Scott Tucker observes:
Just yesterday I learned (from the ABC’s Landline program) that 95% of Australian farms are still family-owned and run. But, as Michelle Scott Tucker observes:
Australian history has been, until recently, very much the history of white men working—as farmers, as soldiers, as miners, as explorers. Women and other outsiders were largely written out, as if they were merely peripheral to the real story. In the history of Australian farming, though, women very much were the real story. Elizabeth Macarthur is only one of many women who were—and are—crucial to the family farming enterprise. In her ambition, her fortitude and her love for her family she was just like many other strong and intelligent farm women. (pp. 329-30)The ease with which one whips through this marvellously readable biography—it really is a page-turner—belies the years of research that must have been required to tell Elizabeth Macarthur’s riveting story. I hope that Tucker’s success will inspire others to take up the challenge of excavating more of these buried lives.
July 9, 2019
‘Convict ship Scarborough was no place for a gentleman’s daughter.’
Over half a century ago, I learned about John Macarthur and his role in establishing Australia’s fine wool industry. In passing I learned that his wife’s name was Elizabeth. A few years later, I learned about a different aspect of John Macarthur, requiring him to return to England twice to stand trial. Those absences totalled 12 years: 1801-1805 and 1809 to 1817. And as I learned more about this aspect of John Macarthur, I wondered who managed the Macarthur interests in Australia during his absence.
Who was Elizabeth Macarthur? Born Elizabeth Veale, she was 23 years old when she accompanied her husband John Macarthur to New South Wales on the Second Fleet in 1790. She was a young wife, who became the mother of eight children. She was upwardly mobile, very careful of who she mixed with. She proved herself capable of managing the Macarthur interests during John’s absences and other distractions. In this book, Michelle Scott Tucker shows each of these aspects of Elizabeth Macarthur.
Originally the Macarthurs had intended to return to England, but they realised that there were more opportunities available to them in New South Wales. They were both ambitious, but it was Elizabeth whose endeavours enabled so many of their achievements.
This is a biography of Elizabeth Macarthur, but it is also an account of a key period in Australia’s colonial history. Michelle Scott Tucker has drawn on several different sources, including the letters sent by Elizabeth her family and friends.
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Australian colonial history.
‘After thirty years of farming, much of it entirely managed by Elizabeth, the Macarthurs were a success.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Over half a century ago, I learned about John Macarthur and his role in establishing Australia’s fine wool industry. In passing I learned that his wife’s name was Elizabeth. A few years later, I learned about a different aspect of John Macarthur, requiring him to return to England twice to stand trial. Those absences totalled 12 years: 1801-1805 and 1809 to 1817. And as I learned more about this aspect of John Macarthur, I wondered who managed the Macarthur interests in Australia during his absence.
Who was Elizabeth Macarthur? Born Elizabeth Veale, she was 23 years old when she accompanied her husband John Macarthur to New South Wales on the Second Fleet in 1790. She was a young wife, who became the mother of eight children. She was upwardly mobile, very careful of who she mixed with. She proved herself capable of managing the Macarthur interests during John’s absences and other distractions. In this book, Michelle Scott Tucker shows each of these aspects of Elizabeth Macarthur.
Originally the Macarthurs had intended to return to England, but they realised that there were more opportunities available to them in New South Wales. They were both ambitious, but it was Elizabeth whose endeavours enabled so many of their achievements.
This is a biography of Elizabeth Macarthur, but it is also an account of a key period in Australia’s colonial history. Michelle Scott Tucker has drawn on several different sources, including the letters sent by Elizabeth her family and friends.
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Australian colonial history.
‘After thirty years of farming, much of it entirely managed by Elizabeth, the Macarthurs were a success.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 5, 2019
“Apart from a handful of aristocrats, Elizabeth and the other women of her era never stopped working. They worked every day of their lives and worked extraordinarily hard. The so-called ‘farmer and his wife’ were, in reality, both farmers and then, as now, the wife’s labour inside and outside the home was crucial to the running of the farm and the economic wellbeing of the family.”
Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge is the first book by Australian author, Michelle Scott Tucker. How a gentlewoman like Elizabeth Veale came to marry John Macarthur, who purchased his commission in a regiment to gain honour, is unclear but, as she was willing to accompany him to New South Wales in 1789, the heart must have played a part. In their early time in the colony, though, the couple viewed it very much as a career stepping stone for John. Elizabeth certainly intended to return to England. She never did.
Elizabeth’s journal of their trip on the Second Fleet is revealing for what it doesn’t include; it’s a gentlewoman’s perspective in keeping with propriety, with no mention of convicts or naming of lowly servants. Scott Tucker reveals how the Second Fleet was outsourced to a shipping company whose culture of systematic cruelty and avarice resulted in an excessive death rate among the convicts, much of which Elizabeth must have been aware.
For her first months in the colony, Elizabeth was the only officer’s wife, but her status prevented her from associating with women lower down the social scale, making for a lonely existence. She was popular with the officers, though, and was taught botany, natural sciences and piano by them, and dined often with the Governor, and ultimately, made friends with many successive governors’ wives.
While the Macarthurs were not unkind to the native population, “The Macarthur family were a perfect example of the dissonant relationship between the Aboriginal and European peoples. John and Elizabeth believed then land was there for the taking. They had no sense of their own ignorance of Aboriginal law, land management and custom.”
But John was an aggressive and volatile agitator: he engaged in numerous duels, putting his family’s livelihood at risk. He constantly got on the wrong side of people, resulting in court martials and litigation, and his part in the Rum Rebellion led to his exclusion from New South Wales for several years in the early nineteenth century.
While John was away in England for an extended period, Elizabeth had to take responsibility for the farm, their convict labourers, and manage their business affairs, as well as the family. John’s letters expressed his gratitude, but were also critical of her methods and regularly contained “helpful” advice: one can only assume that Elizabeth must have the patience of a saint. One criticism led this resourceful woman and innovative woman to develop a method of sheep washing.
Scott Tucker paints an interesting picture of this farm wife, in her eighties a “small elderly woman in whom love and ambition and sheer force of will had combined to create a dynasty” and gives the reader quite a different perspective of transport on the Second Fleet and life during the first half-century of the colony.
It is apparent from the extensive bibliography, the detailed notes and the comprehensive index that Scott Tucker has meticulously researched her subject. The family tree attests to the prolific breeding in the absence of birth control. Eight pages of colour illustrations enhance the text. A fascinating look at an Australian icon.
Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge is the first book by Australian author, Michelle Scott Tucker. How a gentlewoman like Elizabeth Veale came to marry John Macarthur, who purchased his commission in a regiment to gain honour, is unclear but, as she was willing to accompany him to New South Wales in 1789, the heart must have played a part. In their early time in the colony, though, the couple viewed it very much as a career stepping stone for John. Elizabeth certainly intended to return to England. She never did.
Elizabeth’s journal of their trip on the Second Fleet is revealing for what it doesn’t include; it’s a gentlewoman’s perspective in keeping with propriety, with no mention of convicts or naming of lowly servants. Scott Tucker reveals how the Second Fleet was outsourced to a shipping company whose culture of systematic cruelty and avarice resulted in an excessive death rate among the convicts, much of which Elizabeth must have been aware.
For her first months in the colony, Elizabeth was the only officer’s wife, but her status prevented her from associating with women lower down the social scale, making for a lonely existence. She was popular with the officers, though, and was taught botany, natural sciences and piano by them, and dined often with the Governor, and ultimately, made friends with many successive governors’ wives.
While the Macarthurs were not unkind to the native population, “The Macarthur family were a perfect example of the dissonant relationship between the Aboriginal and European peoples. John and Elizabeth believed then land was there for the taking. They had no sense of their own ignorance of Aboriginal law, land management and custom.”
But John was an aggressive and volatile agitator: he engaged in numerous duels, putting his family’s livelihood at risk. He constantly got on the wrong side of people, resulting in court martials and litigation, and his part in the Rum Rebellion led to his exclusion from New South Wales for several years in the early nineteenth century.
While John was away in England for an extended period, Elizabeth had to take responsibility for the farm, their convict labourers, and manage their business affairs, as well as the family. John’s letters expressed his gratitude, but were also critical of her methods and regularly contained “helpful” advice: one can only assume that Elizabeth must have the patience of a saint. One criticism led this resourceful woman and innovative woman to develop a method of sheep washing.
Scott Tucker paints an interesting picture of this farm wife, in her eighties a “small elderly woman in whom love and ambition and sheer force of will had combined to create a dynasty” and gives the reader quite a different perspective of transport on the Second Fleet and life during the first half-century of the colony.
It is apparent from the extensive bibliography, the detailed notes and the comprehensive index that Scott Tucker has meticulously researched her subject. The family tree attests to the prolific breeding in the absence of birth control. Eight pages of colour illustrations enhance the text. A fascinating look at an Australian icon.
Read
July 16, 2018‘A stunning and intimate look at Elizabeth [Macarthur] and the family’s lives…Should be required reading in schools…An informative and learned look at colonial history.’
AU Review
‘This carefully researched history is a highly interesting read that highlights the importance of women in the settlement of New South Wales.’
Otago Daily Times
‘A nourishing, fascinating, and eye-opening read.’
Alpha Reader
‘Tucker’s great achievement is to have scraped back the familiar historical material to uncover a fresh and compelling portrait of Elizabeth Macarthur in her own words and the words of those who knew her.’
Australian
‘Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World is a great read. It crafts a compulsive story with good research, giving a convincing look into colonial New South Wales. It offers the pleasures of fine biography in tracing one person’s life in all its seasons, through its successes and failures, joys and miseries.’
Nathanhobby.com
‘Tucker expertly details the trials, tragedies and triumphs of the early settlement of NSW...This book is an important historical memoir documenting the incredible life of an Australian pioneer and her role as the matriarch of one of Australia’s first agricultural dynasties.’
Countryman
‘In writing this lively, entertaining and profoundly empathetic biography, [Tucker] has also brought other colonial women out of the shadows and told their story too…There are not many biographies or histories of Australia that are unputdownable, but this one is. Highly recommended!’
ANZ LitLovers
'Finally, Elizabeth Macarthur steps out from the long shadow of her infamous, entrepreneurial husband. In Michelle Scott Tucker’s devoted hands, Elizabeth emerges as a canny businesswoman, charming diplomat, loving mother and indefatigable survivor. A fascinating, faithful portrait of a remarkable woman and the young, volatile colony she helped to build.’
Clare Wright
‘An intimate portrait of a woman who changed herself and Australia…Michelle Scott Tucker makes Elizabeth Macarthur step off the page.’
David Hunt, author of Girt
AU Review
‘This carefully researched history is a highly interesting read that highlights the importance of women in the settlement of New South Wales.’
Otago Daily Times
‘A nourishing, fascinating, and eye-opening read.’
Alpha Reader
‘Tucker’s great achievement is to have scraped back the familiar historical material to uncover a fresh and compelling portrait of Elizabeth Macarthur in her own words and the words of those who knew her.’
Australian
‘Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World is a great read. It crafts a compulsive story with good research, giving a convincing look into colonial New South Wales. It offers the pleasures of fine biography in tracing one person’s life in all its seasons, through its successes and failures, joys and miseries.’
Nathanhobby.com
‘Tucker expertly details the trials, tragedies and triumphs of the early settlement of NSW...This book is an important historical memoir documenting the incredible life of an Australian pioneer and her role as the matriarch of one of Australia’s first agricultural dynasties.’
Countryman
‘In writing this lively, entertaining and profoundly empathetic biography, [Tucker] has also brought other colonial women out of the shadows and told their story too…There are not many biographies or histories of Australia that are unputdownable, but this one is. Highly recommended!’
ANZ LitLovers
'Finally, Elizabeth Macarthur steps out from the long shadow of her infamous, entrepreneurial husband. In Michelle Scott Tucker’s devoted hands, Elizabeth emerges as a canny businesswoman, charming diplomat, loving mother and indefatigable survivor. A fascinating, faithful portrait of a remarkable woman and the young, volatile colony she helped to build.’
Clare Wright
‘An intimate portrait of a woman who changed herself and Australia…Michelle Scott Tucker makes Elizabeth Macarthur step off the page.’
David Hunt, author of Girt
September 26, 2018
4.5 stars. A well-written and very readable biography of a woman who led an extraordinary life. She and her husband and their descendants had a big impact on the course of Australian history, particularly in regards to agriculture, but also government. But it's a fascinating story and I would recommend it beyond just Australian readers as it has wider interest IMO.
Elizabeth was from a fairly simple, but educated family in Devon, England. She married when young, to an ambitious young soldier, John Macarthur. To further his career, John took a posting in the then very new convict settlement in New South Wales, Australia. Not many wives travelled with their husbands to Australia at this time, and Elizabeth was a fairly rare one who did. She had a son aged less than one year, and when they sailed she was also pregnant.
John and Elizabeth travelled with the Second (Convict) Fleet. Elizabeth kept a journal of the trip so we have some idea of how terrible the journey was, both from her journal and from other historic records. During the trip Elizabeth gave birth to a baby girl, but the baby died and was buried at sea. Both her husband and son were seriously ill during the trip and she feared both could die.
Sydney town at that time was a very primitive place. Most of the population were convicts, and there were very few women. Relations with the aboriginal population were still relatively cordial (as long as they kept out of the invading whites' way). There was a shortage of everything, including food. Elizabeth had to contend with all of this as well as a husband whose behaviour was often proud and unpredictable towards others. His behaviour in later life demonstrates clear symptoms of what today we label 'bipolar', and perhaps he was always a bit that way. He and Elizabeth always appeared to love each other, though, through thick and thin.
John and Elizabeth became farmers and John resigned his commission. The eventual fame and success of the Macarthur farming ventures in Australia is legendary, especially in regards to the founding of the wool industry. But this book follows the humble beginnings and the long, rocky road to success. There were good times and bad. There were periods of years at a time when Elizabeth ran all of the farming enterprises herself when John was away in England. She must have been an extraordinary woman. She had numerous children, she ran several farms at separate sites, she organised and managed a large group of employees, many of them convicts. John was often her helpmeet, and the children also helped as they grew up.
But there were times of drought, illnesses, the infamous 'rum rebellion', in which John was a key player, and numerous other challenges to be faced. As the author states, Elizabeth would have worked hard all day every single day.
In the end she lived a long life and died peacefully in old age, although she never returned home to her native Devon to visit her family. The many letters exchanged help give this detailed picture of her life that the author has collated.
So, a fascinating read, and a reminder that 'the good old days' should not be romanticised. It was tough! Well done to the writer for her scholarship and for writing such an accessible and interesting biography.
Elizabeth was from a fairly simple, but educated family in Devon, England. She married when young, to an ambitious young soldier, John Macarthur. To further his career, John took a posting in the then very new convict settlement in New South Wales, Australia. Not many wives travelled with their husbands to Australia at this time, and Elizabeth was a fairly rare one who did. She had a son aged less than one year, and when they sailed she was also pregnant.
John and Elizabeth travelled with the Second (Convict) Fleet. Elizabeth kept a journal of the trip so we have some idea of how terrible the journey was, both from her journal and from other historic records. During the trip Elizabeth gave birth to a baby girl, but the baby died and was buried at sea. Both her husband and son were seriously ill during the trip and she feared both could die.
Sydney town at that time was a very primitive place. Most of the population were convicts, and there were very few women. Relations with the aboriginal population were still relatively cordial (as long as they kept out of the invading whites' way). There was a shortage of everything, including food. Elizabeth had to contend with all of this as well as a husband whose behaviour was often proud and unpredictable towards others. His behaviour in later life demonstrates clear symptoms of what today we label 'bipolar', and perhaps he was always a bit that way. He and Elizabeth always appeared to love each other, though, through thick and thin.
John and Elizabeth became farmers and John resigned his commission. The eventual fame and success of the Macarthur farming ventures in Australia is legendary, especially in regards to the founding of the wool industry. But this book follows the humble beginnings and the long, rocky road to success. There were good times and bad. There were periods of years at a time when Elizabeth ran all of the farming enterprises herself when John was away in England. She must have been an extraordinary woman. She had numerous children, she ran several farms at separate sites, she organised and managed a large group of employees, many of them convicts. John was often her helpmeet, and the children also helped as they grew up.
But there were times of drought, illnesses, the infamous 'rum rebellion', in which John was a key player, and numerous other challenges to be faced. As the author states, Elizabeth would have worked hard all day every single day.
In the end she lived a long life and died peacefully in old age, although she never returned home to her native Devon to visit her family. The many letters exchanged help give this detailed picture of her life that the author has collated.
So, a fascinating read, and a reminder that 'the good old days' should not be romanticised. It was tough! Well done to the writer for her scholarship and for writing such an accessible and interesting biography.
May 23, 2018
So - full disclosure! - Michelle Scott Tucker is one of Jacinta di Mase's authors, and I work as youth-literature agent for Jacinta.
Honestly though, I do not read much non-fiction, let alone historical-biographies. I just don't. So if I wasn't interested in this I just wouldn't have read it, and wouldn't say boo about it. The fact of the matter is, Michelle is a Jacinta di Mase client AND I genuinely thoroughly enjoyed this book. The two are exclusive :-)
But I picked this one up (despite aforementioned minimal interest in the genre) because:
1) - Even though it feels like we studied 'The First Fleet' and colonisation of Australia every freakin' year in primary school, I had no clue who Elizabeth Macarthur was. I really had zero knowledge of Australia's female founders generally.
and 2) - the blurb had me so thoroughly intrigued: "In 1788 a young gentlewoman raised in the vicarage of an English village married a handsome, haughty and penniless army officer. In any Austen novel that would be the end of the story, but for the real-life woman who became an Australian farming entrepreneur, it was just the beginning."
You throw Jane Austen out there, and I'm going to pick it up!
And I've gotta say - 'A Life at the Edge of the World' 100% delivered for me, and I was so happy that I read outside my usual comforts and gave this a go. I truly found it to be such a nourishing, fascinating, and eye-opening read. Not to mention - it was just damn enjoyable, and easily one of my favourite books of 2018 so far.
So, probably my last encounter with historical biography was my attempt at reading 'Alexander Hamilton' by Ron Chernow because of my HAMILTON the Musical and Lin-Manuel Miranda obsession. I got about 100 pages into that 818-page tome though, and had to throw in the towel. It was interesting but mired in minutiae I just couldn't pretend to care about. I will say though, that Chernow had a lot of documents and correspondence and just general first-hand pieces of information to wade through in building a picture of a man who did indeed; "Write day and night like you’re running out of time?"
Michelle Scott Tucker has a slightly bigger obstacle in her way, in that her biography is largely built around Elizabeth's diary - documenting her marriage and voyage to Australia, and years in the established colony, and also her correspondence home. And as Tucker says early on in the book, much of Elizabeth's writing is tempered by her knowledge of an audience. She kept her diary, knowing full well it was an artefact she'd be passing onto her children so they'd have a keepsake of their life in this new land. Likewise, her letters home are slightly coloured by a wish to convince her friends and family (and put them at ease) that she and her husband John are doing fine and flourishing.
But this biography, and indeed Michelle Scott Tucker's true talent - is in filling in the blanks, both logically and emotionally so. And you get this sense from her at the very beginning, when she goes over the fact that Elizabeth had a miscarriage during her voyage to Australia;
Convict ship Scarborough was no place for a gentleman's daughter. Elizabeth Macarthur was cold, pregnant, and bone-weary. The Southern Ocean pummelled the ship with storm after storm and her soldier husband and infant son were both grievously ill. Elizabeth prayed.
Somewhere on that roaring sea, exhausted by her nursing duties, and constantly pitched and tumbled, Elizabeth was 'thrown into premature labour, & delivered of a little Girl who lived but for an hour.' There was no one on Scarborough to help. No other women were on board, and the ship's surgeon was unlikely to have been sober, let alone skilled. We only know of the nameless baby's existence from a single line in a letter Elizabeth wrote to her mother, many months later. There is no record of a shipboard funeral, no record of where the small bundle wrapped in weighted canvas was delivered to the sea, and no record of Elizabeth's grief. All we have - all Elizabeth had - is that single tragic hour.
Chills. And I knew I would be in good hands from the moment of that premise - and indeed, I was.
Scott Tucker's empathy, interest and respect for Elizabeth Macarthur is so apparent throughout the book - it makes her story sing. I was actually surprised at the suspense created within the pages, but Scott Tucker masterfully leaves each chapter on a note of suspension and intrigue, and I did find myself rushing back to read.
Scott Tucker also doesn't shy away from the inherent discomfort of writing about a 'founding family' of Australia, when ours is a nation of First Peoples and rightful owners. She navigates this aspect with the utmost respect and tenderness, and I was appreciative of the education she also gave me about our Indigenous historical figures - like Bennelong and Pemulwuy. As well as the (oft unheard of, because there were so few) positive interactions between colonists and First Peoples, particularly by those British who went to great lengths to learn from and about Indigenous populations - like William Dawes, who was an astronomer, engineer, botanist, surveyor, explorer, abolitionist and first person to record Aboriginal languages when he befriended a young woman called Patyegarang, who became his language teacher. And, yes, William Dawes sounds like a total spunk, his relationship with Patyegarang completely fascinating and sweet (but never improper - though one recorded phrase she taught him was; "Putuwá: to warm ones hand by the fire & then to squeeze gently the fingers of another person" and yes I SWOON!)
I also loved that Michelle Scott Tucker doesn't try to impose a modern sensibility on Elizabeth Macarthur (who had really interesting relations with local Indigenous populations, but could still refer to them with the distressing disposition of a British invader) ... BUT, Scott Tucker does wonder if we can also judge Elizabeth by the company she kept - and funnily enough, William Dawes was a dear friend of hers, who taught her the stars. So there's that.
I rollicked through 'Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World' in a way I was never going to with Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography. BUT - I think there is something of the Hamilton's to the Macarthur story, and certainly Michelle Scott Tucker's spirited writing of history is something I think even Lin-Manuel Miranda would applaud. I mean - the events of 'Hamilton The Musical' are going on while Australia is *just* being colonised. There's no comparison to story and narrative ... except that Elizabeth's husband (who was a bit of a moron, but whose heart seemed to sometimes be in the right place?) did LOVE a duel. And I genuinely think Elizabeth Macarthur and Eliza Hamilton would have got along like a house on fire as they commiserated over their brilliant but inept husbands who left the telling of history to the ladies and whose stories were, often, even more compelling than their famous husband's. Just sayin'!
I really can't do justice to this book or Elizabeth Macarthur's extraordinary life! I can't even begin to tell you the ways Michelle Scott Tucker further elucidated on my abysmal early Australian history education, or the ways she bought this time and place to life for me. I love, love, loved this book and even if you *think* that historical biography isn't for you, you're guaranteed to love it too.
Honestly though, I do not read much non-fiction, let alone historical-biographies. I just don't. So if I wasn't interested in this I just wouldn't have read it, and wouldn't say boo about it. The fact of the matter is, Michelle is a Jacinta di Mase client AND I genuinely thoroughly enjoyed this book. The two are exclusive :-)
But I picked this one up (despite aforementioned minimal interest in the genre) because:
1) - Even though it feels like we studied 'The First Fleet' and colonisation of Australia every freakin' year in primary school, I had no clue who Elizabeth Macarthur was. I really had zero knowledge of Australia's female founders generally.
and 2) - the blurb had me so thoroughly intrigued: "In 1788 a young gentlewoman raised in the vicarage of an English village married a handsome, haughty and penniless army officer. In any Austen novel that would be the end of the story, but for the real-life woman who became an Australian farming entrepreneur, it was just the beginning."
You throw Jane Austen out there, and I'm going to pick it up!
And I've gotta say - 'A Life at the Edge of the World' 100% delivered for me, and I was so happy that I read outside my usual comforts and gave this a go. I truly found it to be such a nourishing, fascinating, and eye-opening read. Not to mention - it was just damn enjoyable, and easily one of my favourite books of 2018 so far.
So, probably my last encounter with historical biography was my attempt at reading 'Alexander Hamilton' by Ron Chernow because of my HAMILTON the Musical and Lin-Manuel Miranda obsession. I got about 100 pages into that 818-page tome though, and had to throw in the towel. It was interesting but mired in minutiae I just couldn't pretend to care about. I will say though, that Chernow had a lot of documents and correspondence and just general first-hand pieces of information to wade through in building a picture of a man who did indeed; "Write day and night like you’re running out of time?"
Michelle Scott Tucker has a slightly bigger obstacle in her way, in that her biography is largely built around Elizabeth's diary - documenting her marriage and voyage to Australia, and years in the established colony, and also her correspondence home. And as Tucker says early on in the book, much of Elizabeth's writing is tempered by her knowledge of an audience. She kept her diary, knowing full well it was an artefact she'd be passing onto her children so they'd have a keepsake of their life in this new land. Likewise, her letters home are slightly coloured by a wish to convince her friends and family (and put them at ease) that she and her husband John are doing fine and flourishing.
But this biography, and indeed Michelle Scott Tucker's true talent - is in filling in the blanks, both logically and emotionally so. And you get this sense from her at the very beginning, when she goes over the fact that Elizabeth had a miscarriage during her voyage to Australia;
Convict ship Scarborough was no place for a gentleman's daughter. Elizabeth Macarthur was cold, pregnant, and bone-weary. The Southern Ocean pummelled the ship with storm after storm and her soldier husband and infant son were both grievously ill. Elizabeth prayed.
Somewhere on that roaring sea, exhausted by her nursing duties, and constantly pitched and tumbled, Elizabeth was 'thrown into premature labour, & delivered of a little Girl who lived but for an hour.' There was no one on Scarborough to help. No other women were on board, and the ship's surgeon was unlikely to have been sober, let alone skilled. We only know of the nameless baby's existence from a single line in a letter Elizabeth wrote to her mother, many months later. There is no record of a shipboard funeral, no record of where the small bundle wrapped in weighted canvas was delivered to the sea, and no record of Elizabeth's grief. All we have - all Elizabeth had - is that single tragic hour.
Chills. And I knew I would be in good hands from the moment of that premise - and indeed, I was.
Scott Tucker's empathy, interest and respect for Elizabeth Macarthur is so apparent throughout the book - it makes her story sing. I was actually surprised at the suspense created within the pages, but Scott Tucker masterfully leaves each chapter on a note of suspension and intrigue, and I did find myself rushing back to read.
Scott Tucker also doesn't shy away from the inherent discomfort of writing about a 'founding family' of Australia, when ours is a nation of First Peoples and rightful owners. She navigates this aspect with the utmost respect and tenderness, and I was appreciative of the education she also gave me about our Indigenous historical figures - like Bennelong and Pemulwuy. As well as the (oft unheard of, because there were so few) positive interactions between colonists and First Peoples, particularly by those British who went to great lengths to learn from and about Indigenous populations - like William Dawes, who was an astronomer, engineer, botanist, surveyor, explorer, abolitionist and first person to record Aboriginal languages when he befriended a young woman called Patyegarang, who became his language teacher. And, yes, William Dawes sounds like a total spunk, his relationship with Patyegarang completely fascinating and sweet (but never improper - though one recorded phrase she taught him was; "Putuwá: to warm ones hand by the fire & then to squeeze gently the fingers of another person" and yes I SWOON!)
I also loved that Michelle Scott Tucker doesn't try to impose a modern sensibility on Elizabeth Macarthur (who had really interesting relations with local Indigenous populations, but could still refer to them with the distressing disposition of a British invader) ... BUT, Scott Tucker does wonder if we can also judge Elizabeth by the company she kept - and funnily enough, William Dawes was a dear friend of hers, who taught her the stars. So there's that.
I rollicked through 'Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World' in a way I was never going to with Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography. BUT - I think there is something of the Hamilton's to the Macarthur story, and certainly Michelle Scott Tucker's spirited writing of history is something I think even Lin-Manuel Miranda would applaud. I mean - the events of 'Hamilton The Musical' are going on while Australia is *just* being colonised. There's no comparison to story and narrative ... except that Elizabeth's husband (who was a bit of a moron, but whose heart seemed to sometimes be in the right place?) did LOVE a duel. And I genuinely think Elizabeth Macarthur and Eliza Hamilton would have got along like a house on fire as they commiserated over their brilliant but inept husbands who left the telling of history to the ladies and whose stories were, often, even more compelling than their famous husband's. Just sayin'!
I really can't do justice to this book or Elizabeth Macarthur's extraordinary life! I can't even begin to tell you the ways Michelle Scott Tucker further elucidated on my abysmal early Australian history education, or the ways she bought this time and place to life for me. I love, love, loved this book and even if you *think* that historical biography isn't for you, you're guaranteed to love it too.
May 7, 2018
This was a very readable biography of a fascinating Australian pioneer. Elizabeth Macarthur and her soldier husband John arrived in the fledgling settlement of Sydney with the Second Fleet to find a colony on the verge of starvation. Michelle Scott Tucker traces Elizabeth's journey from her arrival as a young wife and mother to her death as the matriarch of one of early European Australia's pre-eminent families. Along the way she chronicles the early history of European settlement in Australia, with all its political machinations, feuds and friendships.
Elizabeth, her family and friends were prolific letter writers and many of these letters have survived. Scott Tucker blends stories and excerpts from these letters with a myriad of information from other sources such as newspaper reports, offical transcripts, biographies, farm accounts and the like to weave an intriguing and lively account of late 18th-century and early 19th-century Sydney. I was particularly interested to learn of the role of female farmers in our agricultural industry and also the massive extent of conflict, misunderstanding and hostility towards the indigenous peoples of the Sydney area.
Australian history in an easily digestible bite!
Elizabeth, her family and friends were prolific letter writers and many of these letters have survived. Scott Tucker blends stories and excerpts from these letters with a myriad of information from other sources such as newspaper reports, offical transcripts, biographies, farm accounts and the like to weave an intriguing and lively account of late 18th-century and early 19th-century Sydney. I was particularly interested to learn of the role of female farmers in our agricultural industry and also the massive extent of conflict, misunderstanding and hostility towards the indigenous peoples of the Sydney area.
Australian history in an easily digestible bite!
September 16, 2018
I didn’t feel I knew Mrs Macarthur by the end of the book. There’s a lot about her husband’s role in early Australian history post-English settlement. I learnt Mrs M held the family and farm together while Mr M went off on his various vendettas; she was a bit of a snob and seemed to have a few friends. That’s it. To me this was an opportunity missed.
August 25, 2022
Having read two fiction books based on the life of Elizabeth Macarthur in the last 12 months, I was curious about what was real and what was 'made up'. This book was recommended in an online book group, and I am more than pleased that I took up the suggestion to read it in conjunction with 'Room Made of Leaves' and 'Elizabeth and Elizabeth'.
As a history buff I certainly appreciated the time and effort the author has taken to research both Elizabeth Macarthur herself, as well as the times in which she lived. She puts into context many of the things that Elizabeth had mentioned in surviving letters to family and friends; and paints her as a truly remarkable women; one prepared to not only maintain, but grow the family's legacy while her husband John was away. If anything her story is as equally important to Australia's history as that of her partner.
The author, Michelle Scott Tucker, takes great pains to explain that Elizabeth Macarthur was among a number of women, who were managing their family property in colonial Australia while their husbands were absent for one reason or another; but focuses on the challenges and successes of the Macarthur endeavour. Its a pity that the stories of many more of these women, and others, who were prominent in helping grow a colony into a nation are not known.
To echo Clair Wright's review on the front "A fascinating, faithful portrait of a remarkable woman".
As a history buff I certainly appreciated the time and effort the author has taken to research both Elizabeth Macarthur herself, as well as the times in which she lived. She puts into context many of the things that Elizabeth had mentioned in surviving letters to family and friends; and paints her as a truly remarkable women; one prepared to not only maintain, but grow the family's legacy while her husband John was away. If anything her story is as equally important to Australia's history as that of her partner.
The author, Michelle Scott Tucker, takes great pains to explain that Elizabeth Macarthur was among a number of women, who were managing their family property in colonial Australia while their husbands were absent for one reason or another; but focuses on the challenges and successes of the Macarthur endeavour. Its a pity that the stories of many more of these women, and others, who were prominent in helping grow a colony into a nation are not known.
To echo Clair Wright's review on the front "A fascinating, faithful portrait of a remarkable woman".
September 4, 2020
An excellent, eminently readable biography of Elizabeth MacArthur, of the well known and influential pioneer family. I must say that I preferred it to Kate Grenville’s A Room Made of Leaves, a fictionalised account of Elizabeth’s life.
Read
July 10, 2018We so often read about history but what about her-story? At school many of us learned about the contributions of John Macarthur to Australia’s agricultural industry. But little has been said about his wife, Elizabeth Macarthur, another integral player in this story. Michelle Scott Tucker rectifies this with her debut, the engaging biography: Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life At The Edge Of The World.
One thing that is immediately apparent in this rich and comprehensive book is Scott Tucker’s ability to provide excellent grounding and context. She successfully paints a vivid portrait of Elizabeth, describing her in very similar to Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett, except that instead of marrying Mr Darcy, this particular Elizabeth wound up marrying George Wickham.
It is well-documented that John Macarthur was a difficult and prickly character. He was responsible for instigating the Rum Rebellion and over-throwing Governor Bligh. John also engaged in various arguments and duels in his lifetime. One of these culminated in his shooting Colonel Paterson – his superior – in the arm. John would be exiled to England for this and other misdemeanours. Luckily he had a good, conscientious woman in Elizabeth to play the role of matriarch and manage the family’s affairs.
Elizabeth Macarthur was from a farming family. She was a gentlewoman from the-then remote English village in the county of Devon when she met John. They would marry for love because John was, at the time, a penniless army officer. The pair would embark on an adventure, traveling in squalid conditions with the Second Fleet to arrive in the newly-colonised Australia. They would find their fortunes in this fledgling environment and Elizabeth would never return to her native England.
This book appears to be a labour of love for Scott Tucker. It is a meticulously researched and well-written volume. It is the culmination of twelve years of hard work and it certainly shows. The end product is a stunning and intimate look at Elizabeth and the family’s lives. It captures her character by drawing on her original letters and diaries and Scott Tucker also provides expert commentary to fill in the gaps that occur through the passage of time.
Elizabeth Macarthur is a fascinating subject. She was integral in managing the day-to-day operations of the family’s vast land holdings and in the establishment of the Merino wool industry. She also knew many famous individuals from that time like Charles Darwin and Matthew Flinders, to name but two. This work isn’t a hagiography because Scott Tucker isn’t afraid to show how the Macarthurs were complicit in the mistreatment of our indigenous people. This certainly shows that Elizabeth was very much a product of her time and the society in which she was living in.
Scott Tucker’s work should be required reading in schools. The book is an informative and learned look at colonial history. It should be applauded for restoring Elizabeth to the history books and celebrating the vital role she played. Elizabeth was ultimately a formidable and inspiring woman and this biography is a testament to her finery, merino wool and all.
One thing that is immediately apparent in this rich and comprehensive book is Scott Tucker’s ability to provide excellent grounding and context. She successfully paints a vivid portrait of Elizabeth, describing her in very similar to Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett, except that instead of marrying Mr Darcy, this particular Elizabeth wound up marrying George Wickham.
It is well-documented that John Macarthur was a difficult and prickly character. He was responsible for instigating the Rum Rebellion and over-throwing Governor Bligh. John also engaged in various arguments and duels in his lifetime. One of these culminated in his shooting Colonel Paterson – his superior – in the arm. John would be exiled to England for this and other misdemeanours. Luckily he had a good, conscientious woman in Elizabeth to play the role of matriarch and manage the family’s affairs.
Elizabeth Macarthur was from a farming family. She was a gentlewoman from the-then remote English village in the county of Devon when she met John. They would marry for love because John was, at the time, a penniless army officer. The pair would embark on an adventure, traveling in squalid conditions with the Second Fleet to arrive in the newly-colonised Australia. They would find their fortunes in this fledgling environment and Elizabeth would never return to her native England.
This book appears to be a labour of love for Scott Tucker. It is a meticulously researched and well-written volume. It is the culmination of twelve years of hard work and it certainly shows. The end product is a stunning and intimate look at Elizabeth and the family’s lives. It captures her character by drawing on her original letters and diaries and Scott Tucker also provides expert commentary to fill in the gaps that occur through the passage of time.
Elizabeth Macarthur is a fascinating subject. She was integral in managing the day-to-day operations of the family’s vast land holdings and in the establishment of the Merino wool industry. She also knew many famous individuals from that time like Charles Darwin and Matthew Flinders, to name but two. This work isn’t a hagiography because Scott Tucker isn’t afraid to show how the Macarthurs were complicit in the mistreatment of our indigenous people. This certainly shows that Elizabeth was very much a product of her time and the society in which she was living in.
Scott Tucker’s work should be required reading in schools. The book is an informative and learned look at colonial history. It should be applauded for restoring Elizabeth to the history books and celebrating the vital role she played. Elizabeth was ultimately a formidable and inspiring woman and this biography is a testament to her finery, merino wool and all.
February 14, 2021
I read this as a companion piece to Kate Grenville's fictional memoir of Elizabeth Macarthur (A Room Made of Leaves). This biography paints a very different picture of Elizabeth, while doing as much (or more) than Grenville in bringing her out of the shadow of her husband, John Macarthur, to take her deserved place in history as the 'mother of Australia's wool industry'. Grenville read between the lines of Elizabeth's letters back to England to provide an alternative story, one of a woman with deep sexual desires who despised her husband but learned to manage him. Tucker's reading of the letters shows a deeply religious woman, dedicated to her husband and family through all their trials. Both books bring out Elizabeth's strengths in dealing with early colonial life and her skills in managing Elizabeth Farm and Camden Park estate where the breeding of Australian merino sheep began. I found the biography more convincing than the novel but I enjoyed the latter more. I do get bogged down in facts and always prefer a good story (even if its premise is dubious!)
October 10, 2018
Not a book I would usually pick up and read but I’m so glad that I did.
I met the author at this year’s Bendigo Writers Festival. A friend and I were standing at the bar with wine and the weekend program, planning which sessions we would go to.
A woman about our age asked if she could join us ~ she didn’t know anyone and thought we looked approachable!
‘Of course,’ we said.
It turns out this was Michelle Scott Tucker, central Victorian resident, newly appointed CEO of the Stella Prize AND author of Elizabeth MacArthur: A Life at the edge of the world.
The next day we bought her book and went to her official festival gig.
A remarkable woman who has written a remarkable book about another remarkable woman. This book should be on school curriculums in all of our schools. Fascinating and different insight into the early days of our country.
I met the author at this year’s Bendigo Writers Festival. A friend and I were standing at the bar with wine and the weekend program, planning which sessions we would go to.
A woman about our age asked if she could join us ~ she didn’t know anyone and thought we looked approachable!
‘Of course,’ we said.
It turns out this was Michelle Scott Tucker, central Victorian resident, newly appointed CEO of the Stella Prize AND author of Elizabeth MacArthur: A Life at the edge of the world.
The next day we bought her book and went to her official festival gig.
A remarkable woman who has written a remarkable book about another remarkable woman. This book should be on school curriculums in all of our schools. Fascinating and different insight into the early days of our country.
July 2, 2018
An eminently readable account of the life and times of Elizabeth Macarthur. She has recently emerged from the shadow of her husband's claims to fame, so that much of truth that she was actually the manager who planned and oversaw the rise of the family's prosperity during her husband's enforced absence in England, has been revealed for some time. This work provides the background and gives the basis in fact for these assertions. It is an amazing depiction of life in early Sydney, especially in Parramatta where the original family farm was based. Elizabeth Farm, of course, still stands, thanks to the foresight of one of its later owners, as does Hambledon cottage which was the small guest house later provided to the Housekeeper/nanny/governess of the family who lived out her retirement there. The contrast between the carriage rides, the vegetable gardens, boat rides down to Sydney and visiting the local families, as Mrs Macarthur did in the first half of the nineteenth century, with the hustle and development of the 21st century Parramatta is just surreal.
Tucker gives a realistic depiction of the family and their interactions: they did become wealthy through investment, breeding up stock and crops for trade within the colony and overseas. John Macarthur was spectacularly successful at wheedling all sorts of advantages out of whichever Governor was in Government house at the time, but he was also very handy at pushing things a little too far, and overstepping the bounds of legality or politeness so that as soon as his wife made friends with the Governor's wife, Macarthur had extracted his demands and put relations with the Governor at such an unpleasant situation, that relations would have to be broken off. From this account, John was clearly subject to mental illness, and by the end of his life, Elizabeth had effectively separated from him, probably in order to maintain her own sanity, and that of her children. He was benevolently detained at Camden. She was living in Parramatta.
The lives of her children also get an outing in this account, and the relative demise of the Macarthur estate is an interesting retelling of how society in Australia changed, as the nature of the population progressed from forced immigration through penal servitude, to the moderately wealthy who sought to promote their own interests. The Macarthurs prospered when families of independence and with some means were able to benefit in a colony with little competition in it. As the competition for land, funds, privileges and trading rights increased, the Macarthurs' influence wained. Their sons were still involved in colonial administration, and ran the farms, but without the spectacular success their parents' early efforts enjoyed. Edward was a military man and achieved some rank, but he was not on good terms with the brothers in Australia who had to deal with the administration of the family properties in his absence.
An interesting read of the vicissitudes of Macarthur life. Tucker clearly admires Elizabeth Macarthur, but she does not whitewash her character with adulation. She was wise, but she defended her husband through some indefensible behaviour, but I suppose she had little choice. She was capable. But as a young woman she was known to be less than proactive. Her daughters found life boring and insipid in their mother's home - there was nothing to do, they were supposed to sit and sew or read or find delight in polite visits with neighbours. Their mother clearly looked to establish them as ladies of quality, in a way that she had not been able to enjoy. She did not advocate that they become involved in running the farms as she had been obliged to in the absence of her husband. Not apparently a feminist!
A great character, authentically portrayed.
Tucker gives a realistic depiction of the family and their interactions: they did become wealthy through investment, breeding up stock and crops for trade within the colony and overseas. John Macarthur was spectacularly successful at wheedling all sorts of advantages out of whichever Governor was in Government house at the time, but he was also very handy at pushing things a little too far, and overstepping the bounds of legality or politeness so that as soon as his wife made friends with the Governor's wife, Macarthur had extracted his demands and put relations with the Governor at such an unpleasant situation, that relations would have to be broken off. From this account, John was clearly subject to mental illness, and by the end of his life, Elizabeth had effectively separated from him, probably in order to maintain her own sanity, and that of her children. He was benevolently detained at Camden. She was living in Parramatta.
The lives of her children also get an outing in this account, and the relative demise of the Macarthur estate is an interesting retelling of how society in Australia changed, as the nature of the population progressed from forced immigration through penal servitude, to the moderately wealthy who sought to promote their own interests. The Macarthurs prospered when families of independence and with some means were able to benefit in a colony with little competition in it. As the competition for land, funds, privileges and trading rights increased, the Macarthurs' influence wained. Their sons were still involved in colonial administration, and ran the farms, but without the spectacular success their parents' early efforts enjoyed. Edward was a military man and achieved some rank, but he was not on good terms with the brothers in Australia who had to deal with the administration of the family properties in his absence.
An interesting read of the vicissitudes of Macarthur life. Tucker clearly admires Elizabeth Macarthur, but she does not whitewash her character with adulation. She was wise, but she defended her husband through some indefensible behaviour, but I suppose she had little choice. She was capable. But as a young woman she was known to be less than proactive. Her daughters found life boring and insipid in their mother's home - there was nothing to do, they were supposed to sit and sew or read or find delight in polite visits with neighbours. Their mother clearly looked to establish them as ladies of quality, in a way that she had not been able to enjoy. She did not advocate that they become involved in running the farms as she had been obliged to in the absence of her husband. Not apparently a feminist!
A great character, authentically portrayed.
November 15, 2020
I enjoyed the style - a biography with a narrative but not every little detail and imagined conversations. Also loved the subject - early colonial life and the role of Elizabeth MacArthur in building the MacArthur’s wealth. The details on contact and conflict with the aboriginal peoples were very interesting.
August 24, 2020
A fascinating and highly readable biography of a woman who has never really been fully appreciated for the contribution she made to the Australian wool industry till now.
Elizabeth Macarthur, along with her better known husband, John, were founding members of the burgeoning penal colony at Sydney cove arriving as newlyweds in 1790 to further John’s army career.
Through many trials and tribulations, usually caused by her husband’s volatile nature, Elizabeth emerged as a strong and resolute partner who basically put up with a lot and did it with grace and good humour.
Elizabeth Macarthur, along with her better known husband, John, were founding members of the burgeoning penal colony at Sydney cove arriving as newlyweds in 1790 to further John’s army career.
Through many trials and tribulations, usually caused by her husband’s volatile nature, Elizabeth emerged as a strong and resolute partner who basically put up with a lot and did it with grace and good humour.
December 1, 2019
I used to love visiting Elizabeth Farm as a child and always enjoyed this history. So I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story about Elizabeth Macarthur, it was really well researched and detailed. I learnt so many things I didn't know about Elizabeth's life, the hardships and tragedies she endured.
January 7, 2021
This is a fabulous biography about a strong resilient woman who did so much for Australia
July 16, 2018
I couldn’t put this down. Having grown up familiar with a lot of the areas talked about in this book (and being married on one of the Macarthur’s former estates) I thought I knew the Macarthur family story. Boy, was I wrong! Their story is far more intriguing than I ever imagined. Michelle Scott Tucker is a fantastic writer and she does a wonderful job of telling the Macarthur’s (in particular Elizabeth’s) story.
July 20, 2018
Very well researched biography. Elizabeth's story gives a fantastic insight to life in the early days of the colony from a settler's point of view. Nicely written.
September 28, 2019
This is a well researched, readable account of an amazing life which takes Elizabeth from a small rural village in Devon to the newly established penal settlement at Sydney Cove. While her husband John Macarthur has been given credit for introducing the Spanish merino to Australia, it was Elizabeth's hard work, organisation skills and ability to get on with people from all walks of life that made their farm a success.
May 12, 2018
I don’t commonly read biographies but after hearing an interview with author Michelle Scott Tucker I was inspired. The story of Elizabeth MacArthur is beautifully told by weaving together quotes from letters and accounts of the day. The sense of time & place is so clear and Elizabeth remains the center of the story, with the men of her grand family orbiting around her.
I’m looking forward now to visiting Elizabeth Farm & Camden Park House!
I’m looking forward now to visiting Elizabeth Farm & Camden Park House!
June 17, 2018
A fascinating story told with an assured, compelling voice. Fantastic.
November 2, 2019
Really liked the blurb, that this is the story of what happens after a Jane Austen character gets married. Now I know why Jane Austen stopped at the wedding. Easy to read biography of Elizabeth, first free white woman in colony, her family and their farms and fortune. Her husband John was just hard work, arguing with everyone, leaving her alone for years to run the farms. However, I ended feeling dissatisfied with Elizabeth, I wanted more from her but that is the sign of a balanced biography. It showed her strengths and weaknesses.
December 11, 2018
I learnt a lot about our early European History from this book, but I felt I had a better understanding of who John Macarthur was as a person, than who Elizabeth was. Although, I did come away with a sense of real awe at her achievements in terribly difficult circumstances and, that like so many women of her time, her real importance has been overshadowed by her husband.
June 27, 2019
Elizabeth Macarthur was a mother, with her love stretched between ‘home’ and this new life very much on the edge of the world. She was a wife, displaying affection, but also exasperation and diffidence when dealing with a difficult husband. Within her own family relationships, she dealt with distance and madness. And she was an astute businesswoman, handling a large enterprise in the colonies while her husband had all the financial power. Tucker has given us a rounded picture of Elizabeth Macarthur, one that is faithful to the times and also to the sources.
For my complete review: http://residentjudge.com/2019/06/27/e...
For my complete review: http://residentjudge.com/2019/06/27/e...
February 20, 2019
I found this book to be a wonderful, compelling read. The author's writing style and attention to detail were extremely pleasing and related a real sense of truthful fact. The book projected the humanity of Elizabeth and all others involved in her life story. I loved that the individual histories of early settlement were brought together and intertwine in a timeline of life incorporating all its hardships, joys, termoils and personalities. One more point of interest is that it makes a mockery of the early Australian history I was taught in the classroom!
The author's attention to research is truly commendable.
The author's attention to research is truly commendable.
September 5, 2020
Very interested in Australian history and this book did not disappoint. Starting with Elizabeth's birth and being raised in a small village in Devon, the story demonstrates detailed research in its structure and format.The problems on board the convict ships and the struggle to cope with a wayward husband make for a compelling read. More should be made of Elizabeth and her sons who were responsible for the development of the wool industry and of the Australian Merino. John, spending so many years back in England, really doesn't deserve the credit he is given.
January 24, 2021
Great Historical Read
Really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth Macarthur, her journey to Australia, her involvement in farming and settlements in the colony. Her life was interesting, tragic and difficult, yet she managed through her skills, personal strength and abilities to establish and maintain their farms. Was unaware what a difficult man John Macarthur was.
The history of Australian white settlement was juxtaposition with her life and struggles which gave a good balance of the time.
Really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth Macarthur, her journey to Australia, her involvement in farming and settlements in the colony. Her life was interesting, tragic and difficult, yet she managed through her skills, personal strength and abilities to establish and maintain their farms. Was unaware what a difficult man John Macarthur was.
The history of Australian white settlement was juxtaposition with her life and struggles which gave a good balance of the time.
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