AustLit

Nineteenth-Century Travel Writing

Henry Walker Parker, Esquire (1808-1871), was a barrister at law, who provided an account of Van Diemen's Land in The Rise, Progress, and Present State of Van Diemen's Land. The work was originally published in 1833, with an identical second edition was published in 1834, including a map of the island. The text included a history of the discovery and colonisation of the island, botanical and agricultural information, an account of the Aboriginal population, and concluded with a detailed chapter and appendix on emigration. The appendix included information on land regulations, employment, instances of previous success and failure of emigration, government departments, and advice on how to get started upon arrival in Australia.