Books
Convicted
Convicted narrates a fascinating history of colonial Australia retold through three generations of Peter Bradley's three ancestors: a father, son and grandson. James Bradley was a First Fleet convict found guilty of stealing a white linen handkerchief worth two shillings, and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. Joseph Bradley worked his life in the most dangerous occupation of the time – whaling – and despite his parents being uneducated and illiterate went on to write a journal about his experiences, rich in history and insight. Roland Bradley was a man of unionism and politics, and like his father and grandfather took up the fight against the rich and powerful through his involvement with the early Maritime union. Following the early struggles of a fledgling colony to nationhood, Convicted is an engrossing and highly imaginative retelling of the story of one family, entwined with the history of this country from the landing of the First Fleet in 1788.
The Wreck of the SS Kanahooka
The Wreck of the SS Kanahooka is the journal of Roland Robert Bradley.
Roland was a man of unionism and politics, and like his father and grandfather took up the fight against the rich and powerful through his involvement with the early Maritime union. In 1894, he wrote an account of surviving the shipwreck of the SS Kanahooka, which forced its castaways to wander the wilderness of North Queensland for 18 days.
Adventures
Adventures of a Native of Australia when Astray from his Ship, the Baroque ‘Lynx’ (A Whaler), and his consequent Cruise in a boat on the Ocean. A True Narrative.
by Joseph Bradley c. 1860
Re-issued and Annotated by Mervyn D. Cobcroft, 1988.
This book is about two of Joseph Bradley’s whaling voyages on the east coast of Australia in 1831. On both occasions, Joseph's boat became separated from the whaling ship 'Lynx,' and it took weeks for him and his crew to find the mainland and return to civilization. This is an amazing story of survival, courage, and determination.
Cruise of the Ariel
A Nine Months’ Cruise in the “Ariel” Schooner from San Francisco in Company with the “Wanderer” of the Royal Yaght [sic] Squadron, belonging to Benjamin Boyd, Esq.
by Joseph Bradley c. 1860
Re-issued and Annotated by Mervyn D. Cobcroft, 1991.
This book is about Bradley’s voyage from San Francisco to Sydney via Hawaii and the South Sea islands. In 1851 Benjamin Boyd met Joseph Bradley in San Francisco and persuaded him to sail his ship, Ariel, in convoy with his other ship, Wanderer , back to Australia. At one point the two ships separated and for the next nine months Bradley scoured the islands of Hawaii and the South Pacific in search of Boyd. This is a great story of courage and determination as Bradley battled the sea and the unknown perils.
Synopsis:
An account of the life and explorations of James Meehan (1774 –1826), Irish convict, settler and surveyor in the early colony of NSW, who served under five governors, worked with explorers including John Oxley and Hamilton Hume and played a prominent part in establishing Australia’s first Roman Catholic church. Written by a descendant of Meehan, the book explores the development of the early colonies in NSW and Van Diemen’s Land.
Part 1, ‘New Beginnings: 1774–1809' covers Meehan’s family history in Ireland and the 1798 rebellion that led to his transportation. We follow him to the fledgling colony of New South Wales and his assignment to Deputy Surveyor-General Charles Grimes. In this period he works under Governors King, Hunter and Bligh not only in surveying the Sydney environs and drawing the plans for the town's layout but in early expeditions to the Hunter Valley, Port Phillip Bay and King Island. He also conducted the first land surveys of Van Diemen’s Land (including identifying the site for the future town of Hobart). The highlight of Part 1 is Meehan’s appointment as acting Surveyor-General in 1808, as well as his pardon, grant of land and establishing a family. His career is set against the background of both the sectarian tensions that led to the Castle Hill uprising and the political struggle between the military and governors that culminated in the Rum Rebellion.
Part 2, 'The Macquarie Years: 1809–1822' follows Meehan’s continuing rise and ongoing activities under Governor Macquarie – his appointment as Deputy Surveyor-General and superintendent of roads, bridges and streets, his naming of Dee Why, efforts to find a route between Moss Vale and Jervis Bay, and his discovery of Lake Bathurst and the Goulburn Plains. It also outlines his private activities as a settler and emancipist, including his prominent role in the establishment of St Marys Church.
Lastly, Part 3, 'An Old and Faithful Servant: 1822 - 1826', traces the final phase of Meehan's life, from his resignation as Deputy Surveyor-General to his death in 1826; it concludes with accounts of later expeditions by Meehan's fellow explorers Oxley, Hume and Hovell, while an epilogue outlines the fates of Meehan's descendants.
Apart from its account of the logistics of early settlement – Meehan claimed in 1821 that he had measured every land grant since 1803, a total of over 2,300 grants, and was instrumental in identifying potential roadways and navigable rivers – the book provides a social history illuminating the ambivalent position of emancipists – and particularly Roman Catholic convicts – in the early colony, with Meehan pardoned and promoted due to his ability but denied the office of surveyor-general due to his background.
The Convict and the Compass: James Meehan’s Untold Story
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The Convict and the Compass: James Meehan’s Untold Story
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