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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Garrett Cotter was an Irish convict transported for life in 1822. The tales of his relationship with a fierce Aboriginal leader in the Canberra region are many, and his name is remembered in the Cotter Valley, River and Dam. The novel expands on known history, and imagines the extraordinary connection between these two men.' (Source: Angus & Robertson Bookworld website)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Empathy for a Convict Conflicts with the Harsh Reality of Stolen Land: James Dunk Reviews ‘Cotter: A Novel’ by Richard Begbie
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: Rochford Street Review , January – March no. 21 2017; 'While the ‘convict stain’ has become a tired cliché in Australian history writing, it is a more interesting facet of Australian fiction. The fact that many of the early British colonists were criminals transported here against their will complicates the common colonial narratives and generalisations, as Kate Grenville showed in her immensely popular The Secret River (2005). Through Australian historical fiction, readers have become introduced the ‘good convict’ drawn into terrible acts of violence partly, because of the injustices of penal transportation.' (Introduction) -
On the Trail of Garrett Cotter
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: Brisbane Times , 9 September 2016;
— Review of Cotter : A Novel 2016 single work novel 'When Garrett Cotter was born in 1802 in County Cork, Ireland, the only settled part of the Australian continent was the small town huddled around Sydney Cove. This illiterate ploughman was transported to Australia in 1822. When he died in 1886 the Commonwealth of Australia was only 15 years away and eventually a National Capital would grow up near where he had lived, with a river named after him. ...'
-
On the Trail of Garrett Cotter
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: Brisbane Times , 9 September 2016;
— Review of Cotter : A Novel 2016 single work novel 'When Garrett Cotter was born in 1802 in County Cork, Ireland, the only settled part of the Australian continent was the small town huddled around Sydney Cove. This illiterate ploughman was transported to Australia in 1822. When he died in 1886 the Commonwealth of Australia was only 15 years away and eventually a National Capital would grow up near where he had lived, with a river named after him. ...' -
Empathy for a Convict Conflicts with the Harsh Reality of Stolen Land: James Dunk Reviews ‘Cotter: A Novel’ by Richard Begbie
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: Rochford Street Review , January – March no. 21 2017; 'While the ‘convict stain’ has become a tired cliché in Australian history writing, it is a more interesting facet of Australian fiction. The fact that many of the early British colonists were criminals transported here against their will complicates the common colonial narratives and generalisations, as Kate Grenville showed in her immensely popular The Secret River (2005). Through Australian historical fiction, readers have become introduced the ‘good convict’ drawn into terrible acts of violence partly, because of the injustices of penal transportation.' (Introduction)
Last amended 27 Mar 2017 10:34:30
Subjects:
- Canberra, Australian Capital Territory,
- Cotter Valley, Australian Capital Territory,
- 1822
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