Australia is the only country founded solely to contain convicts. Thi s gives it a fascinating penal history, complete with numerous tales of convicts making daring escapes, ranging the bush as folk heroes, or beco ming respected citizens.

Those who came included felons, brave se ttlers, entrepreneurial squatters, hopeful miners, optimistic free selec tors and immigrants, each adding a chapter to our nation's story. The st rands of our Aboriginal, penal and pioneering past, coupled with a proud war record and strong democratic principles, create our social history.

Hopefully, this book inspires you to learn more about our settle rs, most of whom arrived with little or nothing, but left us with a mult icultural, prosperous and proud Australia.