Life in the Lower Manning Valley: The First Thirty Years of Settlement - Paperback

by Katherine M. Bell (Author)

Thomas Wootton has been convicted of theft and sentenced to seven years with transportation to New South Wales, Australia. On arrival, he takes in the unfamiliar sights and sounds of the new country. He also hears the sound of the lash on convicts' backs. How will he survive?

William Wynter and his family have not prospered since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. He has been told there is land for the taking and opportunities for a better life in New South Wales. He makes the decision to migrate with his family.

Fate brings both convicts and immigrants to the Lower Manning Valley, home of the Biripi who have lived in this beautiful valley for thousands of years, hunting and gathering food and performing ceremonies. What changes will the newcomers bring to the land and its inhabitants?

This intriguing social and local history covers a broad range of trials that affected the lives of the indigenous people who tried to continue their way of life; the settlers who tried to conquer the land; and the men, women, and children who merely strove to survive.

Author Biography

In her first book, retired nurse and author Katherine M Bell draws inspiration from her own Australian roots as she digs deeply into the Lower Manning Valley's gripping local, familial, and social history.

Motivated by her own questions about the experiences of her convict ancestors who came to this region in the late 1830s, Bell provides a compelling synopsis of the trials and experiences various groups endured to find their place in Australia's uncharted terrain and sheds light on a more localized, seldom-told portion of history.

Bell researched and produced two theses on the history of the Manning Valley region and completed a master in history from the University of New England (New South Wales).