Frontier Justice: A History of the Gulf Country to 1900 by Tony Roberts

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Pages and inside covers have sunned.

This book brings a fresh and illuminating perspective to the Northern Territory's frontier era.

For the newcomer, the Gulf country-from the Queensland border to the overland telegraph line, and from the Barkly Tableland to the Roper River was a harsh and in places impassable wilderness. To explorers like Leichhardt, it promised discovery, and to bold adventurers like the overlanders and pastoralists, a new start. For prospectors in their hundreds, it was a gateway to the riches of the Kimberley goldfields. To the 2,500 Aboriginal inhabitants, it was their physical and spiritual home. From the 1870s, with the opening of the Coast Track, cattlemen eager to lay claim to vast tracts of station land brought cattle in massive numbers and destruction to precious lagoons and fragile terrain. Black and white conflict escalated into unfettered violence and retaliation that would extend into the next century, displacing, and in some areas destroying, the original inhabitants.

The vivid characters who populate this meticulously researched and compelling history are indelibly etched from diaries and letters, archival records and eyewitness accounts. Included are maps with original place names, as well as previously unpublished photographs and illustrations. (back cover)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, please note that this book may contain descriptions and/or images of people who have passed away.