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The Luck of the Irish: How a Shipload of Convicts Survived the Wreck of the Hive to Make a New Life in Australia by Babette Smith at Abbey's Bookshop,
The Luck of the Irish: How a Shipload of Convicts Survived the Wreck of the Hive to Make a New Life in...
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Babette Smith

The Luck of the Irish

How a Shipload of Convicts Survived the Wreck of the Hive to Make a New Life in Australia

Babette Smith

$36.99

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship
English
Allen & Unwin
25 June 2014
History; Australasian & Pacific history; Colonialism & imperialism
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 New South Wales 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 D.H. Lawrence: 'Nobody felt better than anybody else, or higher.'

The Luck of the Irish is a fascinating portrait of colonial life in the mid-nineteenth century that reveals how the Irish helped lay the foundations of the Australia we know today.

'Deeply researched and vividly written, it's a terrific new and up-to-date account of the convict experience, mainly from the bottom up. I'm impressed.' - Emeritus Professor Alan Atkinson FAHA, University of Sydney

'Brings the convict era to life through personal stories and insightful analysis.' - Lindsay Tanner
By:  
Imprint:   Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication:   Australia
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 153mm,  Spine: 24mm
Weight:   425g
ISBN:   9781742378121
ISBN 10:   1742378129
Pages:   312
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  ELT Advanced ,  Primary
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Reviews for The Luck of the Irish: How a Shipload of Convicts Survived the Wreck of the Hive to Make a New Life in Australia

'Deeply researched and vividly written, it's a terrific new and up-to-date account of the convict experience, mainly from the bottom up' - Emeritus Professor Alan Atkinson FAHA, University of Sydney. 'Brings the convict era to life through personal stories and insightful analysis.' - Lindsay Tanner


  • Short-listed for Kay Daniels Award 2016 (Australia)
  • Winner of NSW Premier's History Awards Community and Regional History Prize 2015 (Australia)

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