Farewell to Old England Forever

Have just received another comment on my book "Farewell to Old England Forever". This time from a reader in Trentham, Victoria:

'Have finished "Farewell to Old England Forever" - what a great read. Loved it!'

If you are interested in nineteenth-century Australian history including the story of the some one million men, women and children who emigrated in small sailing vessels sailing half way around the world then this could be the book for you. The book covers:

- the early arrivals in the colonies;

-the long running debate about emigration to the colonies;

-the reasons why so many people decided to emigrate;

-a profile of those who came;

-lots of details of the emigration vessels and their crews;

-the processes involved in preparing to emigrate and the embarkation;

-details about the long passage to the colonies; and

-the arrival process (including first sight of land and stories about those who almost made it but were ship wrecked).

There are 44 illustrations in the book and lots of quotations from documents, letters, newspapers and diaries that add a nineteenth-century voice to the story. The cover incorporates a wonderful Tom Roberts painting:'Coming South' courtesy of the National Gallery of Victoria.