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'Little more than seventy years after the British settled Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania) in 1803, its indigenous population had been virtually wiped out. Yet this genocide one of the earliest of the modern era is virtually forgotten in Britain today. The Last Man is the first book specifically to explore the role of the British government and wider society in the destruction of the Aboriginal Tasmanians. Although the introduction of European diseases undoubtedly contributed to the decline of the indigenous population, Tom Lawson shows that Britain supported what was effectively the ethnic cleansing of Tasmania particularly in the period of martial law in 1828-1832. He also illustrates the ways in which the destruction of indigenous Tasmanians was reflected in British culture both at the time and since and how it came to play a key part in forging particular versions of British imperial identity. The Last Man provides the first comprehensive picture of Britain's role in the destruction of the Tasmanian Aboriginal population.' (Source: Publisher's website)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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[Review] The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , September vol. 39 no. 3 2015; (p. 435-437)
— Review of The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania 2014 multi chapter work criticism -
The Last Man: A British Genocide in Tasmania [Book Review]
2014
single work
review
— Appears in: Aboriginal History , December vol. 38 no. 2014; (p. 225-227)
— Review of The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania 2014 multi chapter work criticism
-
The Last Man: A British Genocide in Tasmania [Book Review]
2014
single work
review
— Appears in: Aboriginal History , December vol. 38 no. 2014; (p. 225-227)
— Review of The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania 2014 multi chapter work criticism -
[Review] The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , September vol. 39 no. 3 2015; (p. 435-437)
— Review of The Last Man : A British Genocide in Tasmania 2014 multi chapter work criticism
- Van Diemen's Land (1803-1856), Tasmania,
- Flinders Island, Bass Strait Islands, Tasmania,