AustLit

19th-Century Australian Travel Writing

Memories of the Past was published anonymously by 'A Lady in Australia,' however the later edition of the work titled Memories of Tasmania included a cover title Annie Baxter's Memories. Annie Marie Dawbin (previously Annie Baxter in her first marriage) was a pioneer and diarist. Dawbin was a society figure in Tasmania and these memoirs have been drawn from her early diaries. In the preface Dawbin states that the travel narrative is not intended as an instructive manual as the history and statistics of Australia have already been published in other works. Instead, the text focuses on "chat and gossip," and works to recall memories of happy days and to pass a leisure hour for the reader. The work details Dawbins' journey to Tasmania from New South Wales, describes the scenery surrounding Hobart, and extensively describes the society that she moves through and colonial life.