Rottnest Island: History and Architecture by R J Ferguson

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Foxing to top and tail foredges. Dust jacket has light creasing at edges and spine. Some foxing to book flaps. Interior and binding are also still very good.

This book briefly touches on instances when Dutch vessels were wrecked on our reefs, and the French were teasing the British with their presence on the west coast of Australia. It describes in detail the involvement of the early British settlers, who endeavoured to escape conflict with mainland Aborigines, the Island's role as a penal settlement for Aboriginal prisoners, and its later service as a boys' reformatory and the Governor's summer residence. After the prison's closure, the Island's development as a recreational reserve and its use by the army during and after the First World War are traced.

This important and unique study documents one of Australia's largest groups of colonial buildings, presenting details of their construction and illuminating the individuals responsible for their existence. (book flap)