Australia's Birthstain,
Subtitle: the startling legacy of the convict era
Publisher: allen and unwin
Published: 2008
Place of publication: sydney australia
Format: Hardback
Number of pages: 400
First sentence: For many family historians in Australia the discovery of a convict ancestor raised as many questions as it answered.
Description: Babette Smith traces the stories of hundreds of convicts over the 80 years of convict transportation to Australia. The book rewrites the story of Australia's convict foundations, revealing the involvement of British politicians and clergy in creating a birthstain that reached far beyond convict crimes.