Dimensions
129 x 198 x 23mm
This is a historical novel, based on the true story of a young English convict named William Buckley who, on Boxing Day 1803, escaped from Victoria's abortive first settlement at Sorrento and then survived in the wilderness for 32 years, mainly because he was adopted and helped by local aboriginal tribes.
In 1835 Buckley emerged with his tribal friends to meet Melbourne's founders, and quickly became an important guide and interpreter in the crucial first years of the European conquest of the Port Phillip region.
Suddenly, trapped in the rapidly ensuing conflict between two vastly different societies, Buckley found himself mistrusted by his former black friends and by his white compatriots. He was so harshly reviled that his reputation has suffered to this day.