The Birth Of Sydney

Sydney, Australia, is one of the world's most beautiful and fascinating cities, home to over three and a half million people and site of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. In The Birth of Sydney, scientist and historian Tim Flannery blends the writings of Australian explorers, settlers, leaders, journalists, and visitors to construct a compelling narrative history of the great metropolis - from its founding as a remote penal colony of the British Empire in 1788 to its emergence as a vital trading power in the nineteenth century. Together, their voices and experiences create an unforgettable panoramic portrait of the early life of the majestic harbor city. Tim Flannery's brilliant anthology reveals Sydney's strange and secret life from its unruly beginnings as a dump for convicts to its arrival as the 'queen of the south' a century later. In this compelling narrative history we hear the voices of everyone from Aboriginal women to Russian sailors, from Elizabeth Macarthur to Charles Darwin and a host of others.

About the Editor

Tim Flannery is the director of the South Australian Museum. He was previously the principal research scientist at the Australian Museum in Sydney and has also been a visiting professor of Australian studies at Harvard University. He is the author of eight books, including Throwim Way Leg.