The Whitehead Letters - Tasmanian Society & Politics 1871-1882
By F.A. Vernon & M.N. Sprod
Published by Tasmanian Historical Research Association: Sandy Bay 1991 1st Edition
Edition Limited To 1,000 Copies
"The Whitehead Letters: Tasmanian Society and Politics 1871-1882 offers a rare and revealing window into colonial Tasmania during a formative yet often overlooked decade. Drawn from the surviving letterbooks of John Whitehead MHA of "Winburn," Lymington, the volume captures his regular correspondence with an English confidant, providing an unguarded and candid account of life in the colony. Through these personal letters, readers encounter Tasmania not as a distant historical abstraction, but as a lived environment shaped by personalities, ambitions, and the shifting realities of a young society finding its footing.
The period covered—emerging from economic depression and grappling with post-convict identity—is brought vividly to life through Whitehead's observations on politics, land management, infrastructure, and social change. His reflections on expanding settlement, railway development, and the opening of mineral wealth are balanced by insights into everyday colonial concerns and the complexities of governance in a still-maturing polity. Written without the restraint of formal public discourse, the letters reveal the tone, tensions, and informal networks that underpinned Tasmanian political and social life in the 1870s.
Compiled by F.A. Vernon and edited by M.N. Sprod, this 1991 first edition—issued by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association in a limited run of 1,000 copies—presents the letters in full, supported by scholarly introduction, notes, and contextual references. As a primary source publication of considerable importance, it holds strong appeal for collectors of Tasmanian history, Australian colonial studies, and those seeking intimate, firsthand perspectives on the evolution of regional politics and society in the nineteenth century."
Light wear to dust jacket. No inscriptions. Pages clean and unmarked. An excellent copy in very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
