When the first Australians came to our shores the environment they faced was unlike anything they had known in England. With little knowledge of the Australian eco system, these settlers were having a substantial impact upon the landscape, possibly due to this lack of understanding, or alternatively a focus on short term financial incentives. Despite this, however, it is indicated that there was some admiration for the land, and hope for it to be successfully cultivated.
Many of the convicts that were transported to Australia came from urban areas, and had little experience in farming, but even if they had, the landscape, flora and fauna they were faced with was vastly different from what had been encountered in Europe. Catherine Speck suggests that during early settlement there was a great effort to gain understanding of plants and animals through diagrams and natural histories. It is possible, however, that although some were learning about individual species, it was too early to have formed an understanding of the echo system as a whole, and the full impacts of actions towards the land. Similarly, Mitchell writes in 1848, that the new colonies, by limiting recourses and not understanding the land, were contributing towards what would surely be extirpation of the indigenous community. As Andrea Gaynor contends, however, the land was often used beyond its limits, allowed by payment of an annual grazing fee. Additionally, the introduction and farming of sheep, which greatly spread across the continent, had irreversible damage on the pastures, their hooves not suited to the new environment, acting like “jackhammers”. This suggests that not only a lack of knowledge, but a focus on short term material goals rather than long term environmentally sustainable ones had an impact on the changing Australian continent.
Not all opinions of the land were negative, however, with W.C Wentworth writing praises of the beautiful landscape in his poem “Australasia” (1823), and suggesting it was worthy of being “a new Britannia in another world”. Similarly, the first editorial posted in the Sydney Morning Herald states that native born Australians shall successfully cultivate the land in the name of Britain, and a section of land for cattle would, in 20 years time, be of more valuable than a fifty gun frigate.
The Australian landscape was both something of great mystery and hope to the new Australians of the early 19th century. While there was a great impact on the landscape from the introduction of new species and a lack of understanding of the land, there was also great hope for land that would be fertile, and would one day represent a New Britain.
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| The "New Britannia" Australian Landscape Wentworth wrote about in his poem, with indigenous people and a kangaroo in the foreground, both of which were at risk of extinction due to the changing landscape with the arrival of colonists. |
"Australian landscape, Aboriginies and kangaroo in foreground", 1828, E.C Close
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