To Be Heirs Forever
By Mary Durack
Published by Constable: London 1976
"To Be Heirs Forever (Constable, 1976) is Mary Durack's richly researched portrait of early European settlement in Western Australia, told through the life of Eliza Shaw, a pioneer who arrived in the Swan River Colony in 1830. Drawing on Shaw's extensive letters, journals and family papers, Durack reconstructs the hardships, hopes and daily realities of a settler family that struggled to carve a livelihood from an unfamiliar landscape. The narrative follows Eliza, her husband Will Shaw, and their nine children as they contend with drought, disease, and the relentless pressure of colonial land policies that promised "grants to descend to heirs forever" yet often left families dispossessed. Through vivid anecdotes—such as the Shaw family's interactions with neighboring Anglican settlers and the tragic loss of many of their children—Durack illustrates how adaptability, perseverance, and community ties were essential for survival in the fledgling colony.
Beyond a personal saga, the book situates the Shaws within the broader sweep of Western Australian history, highlighting the clash between official land grants and the harsh realities of frontier life. Durack's lyrical prose underscores the paradox of promises of permanent inheritance against the impermanence imposed by environmental hardship and governmental decisions. By weaving primary source material with contextual commentary, she offers readers a compelling window into the social fabric, gender roles, and economic challenges of 19th‑century Australian pioneers, making the work valuable both as a family biography and as a microcosm of the colony's formative decades."
Light wear and fading to dustjacket. Inscription on front endpaper. Pages clean and well presented. A nice copy in very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
