Rottnest Island: History and Architecture by R J Ferguson

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges.

This book touches briefly on times 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 endeavouring to escape from conflict with mainland Aborigines, the Island's role as a penal settlement for Aboriginal prisoners and its later service as a boy's reformatory and Governor's summer residence. After the closure of the prison, 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 records one of Australia's largest groups of colonial buildings, presenting details of their construction and illuminating those persons responsible for their existence. (book flap)