The Vandemonian War - The Secret History of Britain's Tasmanian Invasion (2017)

Suppressed for nearly two centuries, The Vandemonian [Van Diemonian] War was a far-reaching conflict in the 1820s and 1830s between British colonists and British military, and the indigenous tribespeople of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). The British formally colonised Van Diemen’s Land at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Small convict stations rapidly grew into towns and farmers started to appropriate the aboriginal hunting grounds. Colonists and tribespeople clashed violently. The British deployed regimental soldiers, special forces, armed convicts and mercenaries in a deliberate effort to push the indigenous population off the land. Far from a localised fight between farmers and hunter-gatherers, this was a war of sweeping campaigns and brutal official policy. The British won the war and then purposefully set about suppressing that it had ever happened. Until now, historians have failed to see through the myths and lies. This book reveals the true story of the obliteration of a whole society. Drawing on previously neglected primary sources, this is a moving and scholarly account of one of the darkest stains on the history of the British empire.(tags: history Australia, colonialism, genocide) Britain formally colonised Van Diemen's Land in the early years of the nineteenth century. Small convict stations grew into towns. Pastoralists moved in to the aboriginal hunting grounds. There was conflict, there was violence. But, governments and gentlemen succeeded in burying the real story of the Vandemonian War for nearly two centuries. The Vandemonian War had many sides and shades, but it was fundamentally a war between the British colony of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and those Tribespeople who lived in political and social contradiction to that colony. In The Vandemonian War acclaimed history author Nick Brodie now exposes the largely untold story of how the British truly occupied Van Diemen's Land deploying regimental soldiers and special forces, armed convicts and mercenaries. In the 1820s and 1830s the British deliberately pushed the Tribespeople out, driving them to the edge of existence. Far from localised fights between farmers and hunters of popular memory, this was a war of sweeping campaigns and brutal tactics, waged by military and paramilitary forces subject to a Lieutenant Governor who was also Colonel Commanding. The British won the Vandemonian War and then discretely and purposefully concealed it. Historians failed to see through the myths and lies – until now. It is no exaggeration to say that the Tribespeople of Van Diemen's Land were extirpated from the island. Whole societies were deliberately obliterated. The Vandemonian War was one of the darkest stains on a former empire which arrogantly claimed perpetual sunshine. This is the story of that fight, redrawn from neglected handwriting nearly two centuries old. "Britain formally colonised Van Diemen's Land in the early years of the nineteenth century. Small convict stations grew into towns. Pastoralists moved in to the aboriginal hunting grounds. There was conflict, there was violence. But, governments and gentlemen succeeded in burying the real story of the Vandemonian War for nearly two centuries. The Vandemonian War had many sides and shades, but it was fundamentally a war between the British colony of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and the Aboriginal people who lived in political and social contradiction to that colony. The Vandemonian War tells the largely untold story of how the British truly occupied Van Diemen's Land deploying regimental soldiers and special forces, armed convicts and mercenaries. In the 1820s and 1830s the British deliberately pushed the Aboriginals out, driving them to the edge of existence. Far from localised fights between farmers and hunters of popular memory, this was a war of sweeping campaigns and brutal tactics, waged by military and paramilitary forces subject to a Lieutenant Governor who was also Colonel Commanding. The British won the Vandemonian War and then discretely and purposefully concealed it."--Author website Governments and others succeeded in burying the real story of the Vandemonian War for nearly two centuries. And historians failed to see through the myths and lies – until now. This is the story of how the British truly occupied Van Diemen's Land, deploying regimental soldiers and special forces, armed convicts and mercenaries. In the 1820s and 1830s the British deliberately pushed the Aboriginal people out, driving them to the edge of existence. Far from being localised fights between farmers and hunters of popular memory, this was a bigger war of sweeping campaigns and brutal tactics, waged by military and paramilitary forces subject to a Lieutenant Governor who was also Colonel Commanding. This is the story of an empire conquering an island and calling it settlement. Dr Nick Brodie is an historian, archaeologist, and writer. Nick's previous books, Kin and 1787: The lost chapters of Australia's beginnings , have both been published to critical... ebook The Vandemonian Wars will reveal the untold story of the orchestrated and successful attacks on the aboriginal population of Tasmania after British settlement and the British Government's part in it.