Boundary Crossers (Meg Foster, NewSouth)

In her new book Boundary Crossers, historian Meg Foster combs archives and family histories to explore questions surrounding the lesser known bushrangers of Australian history. Is there more to the story of Worimi woman Mary Ann Bugg, known as the ‘Captain’s Lady’ as partner of infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, with whom she shared three children? Black Douglas, an African American convict, fuelled the nightmares of those seeking their fortunes in the Victorian goldfields. How did this happen when in reality he died of senile debility in a Bendigo jail, unconvicted of any heinous crimes? What does the shockingly sad story of Sam Poo tell us about the extent of colonial society’s racism towards the Chinese? And then there’s the charismatic, hard-working Aboriginal outlaw Jimmy Governor, made famous by Thomas Keneally in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. How did Governor’s murderous rampage exemplify the endurance of, and the British colonisers’ brutality towards, First Nations people? Unlike the famous bushrangers we all know so well, these four figures don’t fit the stereotype embodied by the white men we laud for their derring-do (rather than condemn for their murderous crimes). The dramatic but poignant and very human life stories of these four people help explain and enrich our understanding of our past and therefore our present. Boundary Crossers is excellent Australian history, thought-provoking and illuminating.

Julia Taylor worked for many years in trade publishing. Read her interview with Meg Foster about Boundary Crossers here.

Category: Reviews