The first 22 years of the colonisation of Australia were tumultuous ones. They began with the arrival of the First Fleet and ended with the aftermath of the only military insurrection Australia has ever experienced.

This book covers all the major events — the arrival at Botany Bay, the settlement at Sydney Cove, the battle to survive, heroic explorations, and tensions between the new arrivals and indigenous peoples.

It also shows how the military officers charged with guarding the colony turned to corruption and greed and became a law unto themselves, destroying the careers of successive governors.

This period saw the birth of the fine wool industry, which would grow to become the primary source for British mills. Alongside the convicts came the first brave free settlers determined to carve out a life in a new land.

During these years the future path of Australia was shaped.