Hamilton Hume
The untold story of Hamilton Hume — the Australian-born explorer who truly opened up the nation.
While English-born soldiers, sailors and surveyors have claimed pride of place among the explorers of the young New South Wales colony, the real pathfinder was a genuine native-born Australian. Hamilton Hume, a man with a profound understanding of the Aboriginal people and an almost mystical relationship with the Australian bush, led settlers from the cramped surrounds of Sydney Town to the vast fertile country that would provide the wealth to found and sustain a new nation.
Robert Macklin, author of the critically acclaimed history of Norfolk Island, DARK PARADISE, tells the heroic tale of this young Australian man who outdid his English “betters” by forging a land route from Sydney to Port Phillip; leading Charles Sturt to the discovery of the Darling which opened up western New South Wales; and by finally crossing the Blue Mountains. His contribution to the development of the colony was immense but downplayed in deference to explorers of British origin. HAMILTON HUME uncovers this brave man’s achievements and reveals an intriguing and at times shocking portrait of colonial life, by the author of the bestselling SAS SNIPER.
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Publisher : Hachette Australia; 1st edition (27th June 2017)
Language : English
Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN: 9780733638794
ISBN-10: 0733638791
You almost feel you are taking that trek with the party as Robert Macklin cites the obstacles – torrential river crossings, dense bush, the Snowy Mountains and more. Macklin covers Hume’s public and private life, emphasising his affinity with the country and rapport with the Indigenous people, as well as providing a portrait of the evolving colony.