The book tie-in from the popular SBS Living History series 'The Colony'. What really went on behind the scenes, and in the minds, of all the participants?
'The Colony' sent a modern-day cast of English, Irish and Australian characters back in time to the early settlement of NSW, the far-flung place which would become Australia. There they learnt to co-exist with an Indigenous clan whose forebears had lived on this isolated and wild riverbank for many, many generations. The book and series blend historical discovery, social jeopardy, adventure challenge and experiential learning. The set up is a microcosm of the bold plan that the British Government hatched to colonise Australia.
The families were provided with plots of land, assigned convicts and discovered some of what their forebears felt having to build farms and homes from scratch, battle drought and flood and navigate their way through a completely new and bewildering set of social relationships - a psychological battlefield. The participants are put to the test daily and uncover a strength of will, inventiveness, good humour and tenacity necessary to survive the pioneer life in an unforgiving land. Inevitably, the harsh conditions show up their ignorance, arrogance, failings and weaknesses and teach us all something about the characteristics which forged the Australian spirit.
The book features some of the historical and educational research that the experts have gathered - recipes, pictures, Indigenous and settler history as well as pieces from the video and written diaries that each of the participants kept.
Drama, failure, fun, tensions, success and breakdowns ensued.
