Published Resources Details

Book

Authors
de Grijs, Richard; and Jacob, Andrew
Title
William Dawes: scientist governor, abolitionist: caught between science and religion
Imprint
Springer, Cham, Switzeland, 2023, 272 pp
ISBN/ISSN
9783031387739
Url
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-38774-6
Subject
Chronological Classification 1788-1900 Natural Sciences Physical Sciences
Format
Print
Contains
Image
Abstract

Springer blurb:

This book describes William Dawes' life and professional achievements. William Dawes was a British Marine serving as the official astronomer on board the First Fleet making the 1787-1788 voyage from Britain to the new colony of New South Wales. Between 1788 and 1791, Dawes established not one but two observatories within a kilometre of Sydney's present-day city centre, a full seven decades before the construction of Sydney's historical Observatory at Dawes' Point, today a stone's throw from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In this comprehensive biography, the authors discuss William Dawes' life and his considerable impact-as astronomer, engineer, surveyor, ordnance officer and intellectual centre point-on the early colony in New South Wales (in essence, his impact on the earliest history of Sydney as a settlement) and, subsequently, on the British colonies of Sierra Leone on the West African coast and Antigua in the West Indies.

Dawes' life and professional achievements are closely linked to the earliest history of Sydney as a British settlement. He is often considered a man of high morals, and as such his interactions with the local populations in New South Wales, Sierra Leone and Antigua were mostly deemed respectful and above reproach. He is seen a truly enlightened individual, far ahead of his time.

The authors of this book have a significant track record of successful and engaging communication of complex concepts in physics and astronomy with experts and non-experts alike. This biography touches on numerous aspects related to 18th century maritime navigation ("sailing on the stars"), societal relationships, the exploration of newly discovered lands, as well as the early history of Sydney and New South Wales, and the colonial histories of Sierra Leone and the West Indies. As such, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from scholars in the history of science and maritime navigation, to history enthusiasts ranging from local historians on Australia's eastern seaboard to members of the public with a keen interest in British colonial history.

Source
cohn 2024

Cultural Objects

People

See also

EOAS ID: bib/ASBS14422.htm

This Edition: 2026 February - 1926 Centenaries
Kooyang - Gariwerd calendar - Late summer: late January to late March - season of eels
Reference: https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/gariwerd-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-kooyang-season-of-eels

Publisher: Swinburne University of Technology.

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Cite this page: https://www.eoas.info/bib/ASBS14422.htm

For earlier editions see the Internet Archive at: https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.eoas.info

"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260