Description

Maria Island History and Landscapes 1825 – 1930

Maria Island’s European history is one of exploration and dispossession, incarceration and labour, resources and exploitation, entrepreneurship and tourism.

This book is structured around four key touchstones from Maria Island’s recent past – the two phases of convict occupation during the Penal Period (1825 – 32) and the Probation Period (1842 – 52), the optimistic tenure of the Bernacchi Period (1884 – 96), and the resource exploitation of the Industrial Period (1920 – 30).

Of course, Maria Island’s story stretches both backwards and forwards from these points, stories in which Aboriginals, whalers, farmers and park rangers figure prominently. Yet the landscape that we see today was primarily shaped by these four periods of occupation and it is through them that we can best piece together some of the story of this remarkable island.