AustLit

"Anderson's Recollections deal with his career in the British army, which included a period from 1834 to 1839 as Commandant of Norfolk Island . Before accepting commission as Commandant from Governor Bourke, Anderson expressed some trepidation for his family, in view of a recent mutiny, but on arrival was delighted with his quarters and their defence. He describes the climate and economy of the island, and expresses his satisfaction that the latter is entirely under his control: 'with all these advantages we lived most comfortably and almost for nothing.' He supervised the trial of the mutineers and subsequent public execution of 13 of the ringleaders. Although he is keen to emphasise the peacefulness of his regume, he conveys a clear impression of the uneasy control held by the authorities." (Walsh and Hooton 13).

Source: Walsh, Kay and Joy Hooton. Australian Autiobiographical Narratives: An Annotated Bibliography. Canberra: Australian Scholarly Editions Centre and National Library of Australia, 1993.