Bedlam at Botany Bay

by James Dunk

Madness stalked the colony of New South Wales and tracing its wild path changes the way we look at our colonial history.

What happened when people went mad in the fledgling colony of New South Wales? In this important new history, we find out through the tireless correspondence of governors and colonial secretaries, the delicate descriptions of judges and doctors, the brazen words of firebrand politicians, and the heartbreaking letters of siblings, parents and friends. We also hear from the mad themselves. Legal and social distinctions faded as delusion and disorder took root — in convicts exiled from their homes and living under the weight of imperial justice, in ex-convicts and small settlers as they grappled with the country they had taken from its Indigenous inhabitants, and in government officers and wealthy colonists who sought to guide the course of European history in Australia.

These stories of madness are woven together into a narrative about freedom and possibilities, unravelling and collapse. Bedlam at Botany Bay looks at people who found themselves not only at the edge of the world, but at the edge of sanity. It shows their worlds colliding.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Australia

336 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2019

Reviews

[Matthew Moffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunk has written a book that offers significant new insights into the psyche of colonial Australia. What was the impact on people who were transported to the other side of the world, brutalised by the strictures of the British penal system, and were then left to try to make sense of a new ‘home’ where they had displaced the original inhabitants? With empathy and beauty, Bedlam at Botany Bay explores these questions, taking advantage of imperial fastidiousness for record keeping. The result is the opening of a new front in the history of colonial Australia’s beginnings. Dunk has written a book where the prose is, at times, humorous, and other times poetic. But it is always engaging, and you will be forced to reconsider some of the colonial stories you perhaps thought you already knew. The research in Bedlam at Botany Bay is detailed and thorough, as it journeys into the madness which haunted the colony. This is a fine example of research produced by one of Australia’s emerging young historians. You will be left wanting to know more about the people you encounter in the book.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Madness has blurred edges.’

In this book, James Dunk writes about madness in the newly established colony of New South Wales. Who determined who was mad, and how were they treated? Picture this: a penal settlement, where people have been transported halfway around the world, under strict control, in an utterly foreign world. Doubtless some of those transported were (already) mad, but the conditions surely increased the likelihood that more would become so? But, as James Dunk writes:

‘Madness was largely overlooked until it became too disruptive, at which point masters, commandants and magistrates made decisions – summarily, perhaps, or in consultation with the governor and the colonial secretary, but with little reference to medical opinion.’

The history is uncovered by reference to correspondence between governors and colonial secretaries, by judicial and medical records, and by letters. There are glimpses of individuals on these pages, lives largely hidden away in most colonial histories.

Attitudes to insanity varied from the enlightened to the cruel. Many in authority were suspicious of those they thought were feigning insanity. Yes, Governor Macquarie established the Castle Hill Lunatic Asylum in 1811 (in a building previously used as a granary and a barracks) but it was hardly therapeutic. An amateur botanist was in charge, it was served by a succession of disgruntled convict doctors. How did the residents feel as the building disintegrated around them? It operated until 1826.

The first real asylum opened in 1838, the Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum at Gladesville on the Parramatta River, opened fifty years after the First Fleet arrived.

‘Insanity has always occupied an awkward place in criminal law, since it complicates the relationship between action and responsibility.’

Reading this book made me think about the history of how society responds to mental illness: how we treat people and try to look after them. It’s another aspect of our history, another dimension of our society.

I added this book to my reading list after it was short-listed for the NSW Premier’s History Awards in 2020. It was announced as the winner of the Australian History Prize on 4 September 2020.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Patrick Marlborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

an essential history of madness in colonial Australia, and how it fit within - and resulted from - colonialist structures.

Great way to reflect on Australia’s ongoing bout of misbalanced humours

[Sally Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

very well researched hard to read at times

[Deanna Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my friend traveling in Australia. He brought it to Nova Scotia, Canada, for me. The book takes a detailed look at the history of the mental health institutions in early settlement Australia. There are lots of primary sources used in the research, which is always a great sign in a history book. It is easy to read and very enjoyable. It could benefit from some maps for those not familiar with the area. It left me wanting more, and I wish there was further information on the institutions once they were more established. But overall it's a great book! Fun to read and an excellent starting point for the history of mental health in colonial Australia. I recommend it.

[Lari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit hard to follow at times, with so many names to keep track of, but still made for an interesting look into insanity in colonial NSW.

[Linda]

Fascinating and detailed account of madness in the Australian colonies that looks at how colonialism fosters - and is itself - a kind of madness.

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have gotten more stars if it had been proof read properly. Nothing worse than reading a book with multiple errors!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review wiil be written in November #AusReadingMonth2021
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