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Flash Jim: The Astonishing Story of the Convict Fraudster Who Wrote Australia's First Dictionary
The astonishing story of James Hardy Vaux, writer of Australia's first dictionary and first true-crime memoir
If you wear 'togs', tell a 'yarn', call someone 'sly', or refuse to 'snitch' on a friend then you are talking like a convict.
These words, and hundreds of others, once left colonial magistrates baffled and police confused. So comprehensible to us today, the flash language of criminals and convicts had marine officer Watkin Tench complaining about the need for an interpreter in the colonial court.
Luckily, by 1811, that man was at hand. James Hardy Vaux - conman, pickpocket, absconder and thief, born into comfortable circumstances in England - was so drawn to a life of crime he was transported to Australia ... not once, but three times!
Vaux's talents, glibness and audacity were extraordinary, and perceiving an opportunity to ingratiate himself with authorities during his second sentence, he set about writing a dictionary of the criminal slang of the colony, which was recognised for its uniqueness and taken back to England to be published.
Kel Richards tells Vaux's story brilliantly, with the help of Vaux's own extraordinarily candid memoir of misdeeds - one of the first true-crime memoirs ever published. Kel's book combines two of his favourite subjects: the inventiveness, humour and origins of Australian English, and our history of fabulous, disreputable characters.
With echoes of The Surgeon of Crowthorne as well as Oliver Twist, Flash Jim is a ripping read - especially for those who appreciate the power of words and the convict contribution to our idiom.
PRAISE
'One of the strongest bonds binding the people of Australia together is the Australian language. We speak a dialect of English richer and more colourful than most. When we call someone a "hoon" or invite a friend to a "barbie" we know immediately what we're talking about - but we have to translate for overseas visitors. This powerful cultural bond was, as Kel explains, built on four foundations. And the most colourful of those four was convict slang. The role that it played, and still plays, in the Australian language, and the story of the man who first recorded it is - as we used to say - a "ripping yarn". It makes a page turning story' - Alan Jones, broadcaster and columnist
If you wear 'togs', tell a 'yarn', call someone 'sly', or refuse to 'snitch' on a friend then you are talking like a convict.
These words, and hundreds of others, once left colonial magistrates baffled and police confused. So comprehensible to us today, the flash language of criminals and convicts had marine officer Watkin Tench complaining about the need for an interpreter in the colonial court.
Luckily, by 1811, that man was at hand. James Hardy Vaux - conman, pickpocket, absconder and thief, born into comfortable circumstances in England - was so drawn to a life of crime he was transported to Australia ... not once, but three times!
Vaux's talents, glibness and audacity were extraordinary, and perceiving an opportunity to ingratiate himself with authorities during his second sentence, he set about writing a dictionary of the criminal slang of the colony, which was recognised for its uniqueness and taken back to England to be published.
Kel Richards tells Vaux's story brilliantly, with the help of Vaux's own extraordinarily candid memoir of misdeeds - one of the first true-crime memoirs ever published. Kel's book combines two of his favourite subjects: the inventiveness, humour and origins of Australian English, and our history of fabulous, disreputable characters.
With echoes of The Surgeon of Crowthorne as well as Oliver Twist, Flash Jim is a ripping read - especially for those who appreciate the power of words and the convict contribution to our idiom.
PRAISE
'One of the strongest bonds binding the people of Australia together is the Australian language. We speak a dialect of English richer and more colourful than most. When we call someone a "hoon" or invite a friend to a "barbie" we know immediately what we're talking about - but we have to translate for overseas visitors. This powerful cultural bond was, as Kel explains, built on four foundations. And the most colourful of those four was convict slang. The role that it played, and still plays, in the Australian language, and the story of the man who first recorded it is - as we used to say - a "ripping yarn". It makes a page turning story' - Alan Jones, broadcaster and columnist
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2021
14 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Kel Richards
66 books20 followersKevin Barry "Kel" Richards (born 8 February 1946) is an Australian author, journalist and radio personality.
Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.
Richards currently presents ABC NewsRadio's weekend afternoons, which includes regular Wordwatch segments. Wordwatch is a feature introduced by Richards. Initially developed as a "filler" program for the radio programs to allow time for changes of people or locations, it tapped into an interest by the listening public and several books have been produced based on the show's research. In November 2003 the thousandth episode of the show was produced.
Richards can also be heard on ABC Local Radio programs including Nightlife (national) and Evenings in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.
Richards currently presents ABC NewsRadio's weekend afternoons, which includes regular Wordwatch segments. Wordwatch is a feature introduced by Richards. Initially developed as a "filler" program for the radio programs to allow time for changes of people or locations, it tapped into an interest by the listening public and several books have been produced based on the show's research. In November 2003 the thousandth episode of the show was produced.
Richards can also be heard on ABC Local Radio programs including Nightlife (national) and Evenings in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 14, 2022
The idea was pretty bang on but the actual yarn was shoddily done.
May 25, 2021
Such an interesting premise, but poorly written.
May 28, 2021
Though English has been considered the language of our country since it was invaded/colonised by the British in 1788, did you know that legally Australia has no official language? Neither did I! While our language today continues to adhere to the conventions of British English with regards to spelling and grammar, from very early on, Australian English began to develop its own unique quirks.
Slang, also known as flash and cant, was a term originally used to refer to the language used mostly by criminals in 16th and 17th century England and so it’s no surprise that it thrived in Australia, and took on a life of its own as British, Irish, and Scottish convicts mixed in the British penal colony.
In 1812 an opportunistic convict, James Hardy Vaux, heard the grumblings of the colony’s police and magistrates who were at a loss to understand much of the slang used among criminals, and always eager to press any advantage, presented his supervisor with ‘A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language’ – Australia’s very first dictionary. Included as an Appendix in Flash Jim, browsing through the dictionary proves fascinating, revealing words and phrases both strange and familiar.
The bulk of Kel Richards Flash Jim however is a biography of James Vaux, drawing on several sources, mainly the man’s own published memoirs, ‘Memoirs of The First Thirty-Two Years of the Life Of James Hardy Vaux, A Swindler and Pickpocket; Now Transported, For The Second Time, And For Life, To New South Wales. Written By Himself.’
Flash Jim reveals a man who was an extraordinary character. Though born into a family able to provide him a good education and entry into a comfortable profession, James took his first step into a life of crime by embezzling from his employer at aged fourteen. Over the next few years, never satisfied with wages earned as a clerk, James indulged in a number of illegal activities from confidence scams to pick pocketing, with reasonable success, that is until inevitably, his luck ran out. Not that even being sentenced to transportation to New Holland on three separate occasions, seemed to deter his criminal impulses. Vaux, who used a number of aliases over his lifetime, seemed to have possessed an uncanny charm which often saw him turn even the most dire of circumstances to his advantage. I was absolutely fascinated by him, and his antics, marvelling at his ego and nerve, though as Richards regularly reminds us, Vaux’s own words can hardly be trusted.
It’s unclear just how much of Richards own creativity informs the retelling he has crafted, though I imagine he has taken some liberties. I thought it read well, though personally I would have preferred for the author to have found a way to integrate the story of the dictionary more fully into the narrative of Vaux’s biography.
James Hardy Vaux is the sort of incorrigible, dissolute character that Australians delight in claiming as part of our convict past so I’m surprised that I hadn’t heard of him before now, particularly given his twin achievements as the writer of Australia’s first dictionary, and the first true-crime memoir. I expect Flash Jim will be enjoyed by readers interested in Australian colonial history, the etymology of Australian English, or just a bang up yarn.
Slang, also known as flash and cant, was a term originally used to refer to the language used mostly by criminals in 16th and 17th century England and so it’s no surprise that it thrived in Australia, and took on a life of its own as British, Irish, and Scottish convicts mixed in the British penal colony.
In 1812 an opportunistic convict, James Hardy Vaux, heard the grumblings of the colony’s police and magistrates who were at a loss to understand much of the slang used among criminals, and always eager to press any advantage, presented his supervisor with ‘A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language’ – Australia’s very first dictionary. Included as an Appendix in Flash Jim, browsing through the dictionary proves fascinating, revealing words and phrases both strange and familiar.
The bulk of Kel Richards Flash Jim however is a biography of James Vaux, drawing on several sources, mainly the man’s own published memoirs, ‘Memoirs of The First Thirty-Two Years of the Life Of James Hardy Vaux, A Swindler and Pickpocket; Now Transported, For The Second Time, And For Life, To New South Wales. Written By Himself.’
Flash Jim reveals a man who was an extraordinary character. Though born into a family able to provide him a good education and entry into a comfortable profession, James took his first step into a life of crime by embezzling from his employer at aged fourteen. Over the next few years, never satisfied with wages earned as a clerk, James indulged in a number of illegal activities from confidence scams to pick pocketing, with reasonable success, that is until inevitably, his luck ran out. Not that even being sentenced to transportation to New Holland on three separate occasions, seemed to deter his criminal impulses. Vaux, who used a number of aliases over his lifetime, seemed to have possessed an uncanny charm which often saw him turn even the most dire of circumstances to his advantage. I was absolutely fascinated by him, and his antics, marvelling at his ego and nerve, though as Richards regularly reminds us, Vaux’s own words can hardly be trusted.
It’s unclear just how much of Richards own creativity informs the retelling he has crafted, though I imagine he has taken some liberties. I thought it read well, though personally I would have preferred for the author to have found a way to integrate the story of the dictionary more fully into the narrative of Vaux’s biography.
James Hardy Vaux is the sort of incorrigible, dissolute character that Australians delight in claiming as part of our convict past so I’m surprised that I hadn’t heard of him before now, particularly given his twin achievements as the writer of Australia’s first dictionary, and the first true-crime memoir. I expect Flash Jim will be enjoyed by readers interested in Australian colonial history, the etymology of Australian English, or just a bang up yarn.
July 10, 2023
Trigger warnings: theft, conviction, mentions of corporal punishment, late miscarriage
3.5 stars
This bills itself as being about the first dictionary written in Australia - one detailing flash, the language used by 19th century criminals, especially thieves. Instead, it's more of a biography of the man who WROTE said dictionary, but the majority of it covers his life prior to writing the dictionary. It ends somewhat abruptly with him arriving in New South Wales for the third(!) time, and it was after that that he took on the task of writing the flash dictionary.
Look, the stuff about flash and the aspects of it that remain prevalent in Australian English today was fascinating. And the stuff about Vaux was solid, particularly the discussion of his early life and his somewhat Dickensian descent into a life of crime. But the two halves of the story didn't mesh the way I wanted them to, and the story ended too abruptly for my liking. So it was good, but not great.
3.5 stars
This bills itself as being about the first dictionary written in Australia - one detailing flash, the language used by 19th century criminals, especially thieves. Instead, it's more of a biography of the man who WROTE said dictionary, but the majority of it covers his life prior to writing the dictionary. It ends somewhat abruptly with him arriving in New South Wales for the third(!) time, and it was after that that he took on the task of writing the flash dictionary.
Look, the stuff about flash and the aspects of it that remain prevalent in Australian English today was fascinating. And the stuff about Vaux was solid, particularly the discussion of his early life and his somewhat Dickensian descent into a life of crime. But the two halves of the story didn't mesh the way I wanted them to, and the story ended too abruptly for my liking. So it was good, but not great.
June 30, 2021
FLASH JIM is the story of James Hardy Vaux, writer of Australia's first dictionary and first true-crime memoir. It's kind of appealing to know the first dictionary came about as a result of the inability of colonial police and magistrates to understand the slang used by the criminal classes. I will admit to being somewhat startled still to discover the words and phrases that are particularly unique to Australian English (normally as a result of the utterly blank look on the face of the hearer from another land).
But the story of James Hardy Vaux is the main point of FLASH JIM, with a reprint of the original dictionary included at the end, entitled A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language. This is the component of the book that I found particularly fascinating, with many of the words and phrases new to me, and many still in common use today.
The bulk of the biography by Richards uses for source material Vaux's own published memoir, entitled 'Memoirs of the First Thirty-Two Years of the Life of James Hardy Vaux, A Swindler and Pickpocket; Now Transported, For the Second Time, and For Life, To New South Wales. Written by Himself'. Needless to say Vaux seems like an unrepentant man, somebody very inclined towards being quite chuffed with themselves. Despite being born into a relatively well off family, with the offer of a good education and a long-term professional career, he took to crime at the age of fourteen starting out embezzling an employer, raising that to confidence scams, pick-pocketing and a range of other crimes designed to supplement that wage he was usually earning working as a clerk. Despite what was ultimately three transportation's to the penal colony in the end, nothing much seemed to dissuade Vaux from his preference for crime, and he developed a hefty ego and a sense of charm that he seemed to think would detract from the ongoing criminal behaviour.
Having said that, its hard to know exactly what to believe given the primary source is the subject's own words, and ego definitely appears to have been something he had in spades. And perhaps that's where my greatest doubt about FLASH JIM came from. Whilst very readable, there's something here that didn't flow quite right, for want of a better description, perhaps best described as a lack of connectivity between the story of the dictionary itself and the story of Vaux's own life. There's also some interesting gaps in the lifestory (questions never able to be answered it seems); two wives, fate unknown; and his own vanishing after being released from a third stint in a Sydney jail. No record of him ever found again, no idea where he died or how or when. Odd ending for a flashy, egotistical, centre of attention type such as James Hardy Vaux. Perhaps that's part of the reason for the dictionary and his own story being largely unknown. To rectify that, FLASH JIM, is well worth a read.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
But the story of James Hardy Vaux is the main point of FLASH JIM, with a reprint of the original dictionary included at the end, entitled A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language. This is the component of the book that I found particularly fascinating, with many of the words and phrases new to me, and many still in common use today.
The bulk of the biography by Richards uses for source material Vaux's own published memoir, entitled 'Memoirs of the First Thirty-Two Years of the Life of James Hardy Vaux, A Swindler and Pickpocket; Now Transported, For the Second Time, and For Life, To New South Wales. Written by Himself'. Needless to say Vaux seems like an unrepentant man, somebody very inclined towards being quite chuffed with themselves. Despite being born into a relatively well off family, with the offer of a good education and a long-term professional career, he took to crime at the age of fourteen starting out embezzling an employer, raising that to confidence scams, pick-pocketing and a range of other crimes designed to supplement that wage he was usually earning working as a clerk. Despite what was ultimately three transportation's to the penal colony in the end, nothing much seemed to dissuade Vaux from his preference for crime, and he developed a hefty ego and a sense of charm that he seemed to think would detract from the ongoing criminal behaviour.
Having said that, its hard to know exactly what to believe given the primary source is the subject's own words, and ego definitely appears to have been something he had in spades. And perhaps that's where my greatest doubt about FLASH JIM came from. Whilst very readable, there's something here that didn't flow quite right, for want of a better description, perhaps best described as a lack of connectivity between the story of the dictionary itself and the story of Vaux's own life. There's also some interesting gaps in the lifestory (questions never able to be answered it seems); two wives, fate unknown; and his own vanishing after being released from a third stint in a Sydney jail. No record of him ever found again, no idea where he died or how or when. Odd ending for a flashy, egotistical, centre of attention type such as James Hardy Vaux. Perhaps that's part of the reason for the dictionary and his own story being largely unknown. To rectify that, FLASH JIM, is well worth a read.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
May 12, 2021
https://denisenewtonwrites.com/?p=2793
Flash Jim: The Astonishing Story of the Convict Fraudster Who Wrote Australia's First Dictionary
Kel Richards
Flash Jim is a romp through the world of nineteenth century crime, criminals and their culture. Readers who enjoy language and it’s origins, and history brought to life, will find it an engrossing read.
Flash Jim: The Astonishing Story of the Convict Fraudster Who Wrote Australia's First Dictionary
Kel Richards
Flash Jim is a romp through the world of nineteenth century crime, criminals and their culture. Readers who enjoy language and it’s origins, and history brought to life, will find it an engrossing read.
October 14, 2021
A great bio of conman thief convict and author of the first Australian dictionary - a great read - a deceptive person
Makes you wonder what he would think of his fame now- he would’ve loved it
Makes you wonder what he would think of his fame now- he would’ve loved it
August 7, 2021
Highly enjoyable account of a rogue convict sentenced to transportation multiple times. It seems astonishing that I’d never before heard of James Hardy Vaux given that he wrote a dictionary of convict ‘flash’ language.
August 9, 2021
The Australian form of the English language is known as being the most colourful and inventive of all of the dialects and this book takes us to the root cause of much of that - the cockney slang of the convicts who came out in chains. Flash Jim, or James Hardy Vaux, was a well educated convict who wanted to ingratiate himself to the Military Officer who was the Governor of Newcastle, New South Wales, by writing a dictionary of convict slang of the day as the poor Governor could not understand what the wretches were saying when they appeared before him in court. Vaux clearly had the capacity and education to make an honest living, but was determined to be make 'easy money'. So much so that he has the distinction of serving his time and travelling back to England three times only to be caught again for breaking the law and being shipped back to Australia. This is a very colourful book that is told superbly well by radio veteran Kel Richards who clearly is a dab hand behind the typewriter, as well as the microphone.
October 17, 2021
DNF
Not sure what to make of this book. There are huge slabs of stilted dialogue which if they come from James Vaux's memoir I'd suggest reading that. If Kel Richards has invented them then this is just really badly written fiction. Either way I could find non citation for the source of the incredible detail Mr Richards has uncovered such as details of people's clothes, actions and motivations. It almost as if he's making it up.
Not sure what to make of this book. There are huge slabs of stilted dialogue which if they come from James Vaux's memoir I'd suggest reading that. If Kel Richards has invented them then this is just really badly written fiction. Either way I could find non citation for the source of the incredible detail Mr Richards has uncovered such as details of people's clothes, actions and motivations. It almost as if he's making it up.
April 25, 2024
I'd like to read a rewrite of this book by an historian who uses historical records rather than combining fiction and fact. Good on Kel Richards for finding the story, but his treatment is not good enough for such a great bit of Australian history.
May 27, 2022
3.5⭐️
In the early 19th century New South Wales was still a penal colony, full of criminals that spoke their own kind of slang. Whether they were telling a ‘yarn’ about a ‘sly’ ‘snitch’ wearing ‘togs’ or about ‘bashing’ a ‘bolting’ ‘body-snatcher’ whilst a ‘dummy’ ‘chanted’ then on; colonial Magistrates, police and the authorities generally had no idea what the criminals were talking about and wished for an interpreter for those that didn’t speak ‘proper English’ so they could understand them.
Enter James Hardy Vaux aka Flash Jim. Although born into a good family for the day’s standards; and having a mind and the social standing that could have seen him become a doctor or lawyer, he had a mischievous side that wanted the finer things in life without working to get them. A fraud and a thief, he would ultimately be transported for his crimes not once, not twice but three times. Never one to miss an opportunity, Flash Jim set about writing a dictionary of criminal slang during his second term.
This dictionary would not only be the first published in Australia; but many of the words in it are still ones we use everyday. A celebration of our criminal heritage and our unique Aussie vernacular, Flash Jim by Kel Richards is a read that everyone (not just the legal eagles) can enjoy.
I’d been looking forward to reading Flash Jim since it came out in 2021 and had purposely held off till May 2022 so that I could read it as part of my month of legal themed books. My interest was piqued about a convict writing a dictionary, as that’s not something that happens everyday and Richards did a good job using Vaux’s biography as a base for Flash Jim.
Whilst I loved that his dictionary is included at the end; there isn’t that much about it in writing itself, rather the book focuses predominantly on Vaux’s criminal life. This isn’t a criticism per se; but rather something to be aware of.
A non-fiction book that will appeal to many, it’s a must for those with an interest in the law, Australian history, languages and words. Flash Jim is a unique read that is sure to surprise and read inform you.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
In the early 19th century New South Wales was still a penal colony, full of criminals that spoke their own kind of slang. Whether they were telling a ‘yarn’ about a ‘sly’ ‘snitch’ wearing ‘togs’ or about ‘bashing’ a ‘bolting’ ‘body-snatcher’ whilst a ‘dummy’ ‘chanted’ then on; colonial Magistrates, police and the authorities generally had no idea what the criminals were talking about and wished for an interpreter for those that didn’t speak ‘proper English’ so they could understand them.
Enter James Hardy Vaux aka Flash Jim. Although born into a good family for the day’s standards; and having a mind and the social standing that could have seen him become a doctor or lawyer, he had a mischievous side that wanted the finer things in life without working to get them. A fraud and a thief, he would ultimately be transported for his crimes not once, not twice but three times. Never one to miss an opportunity, Flash Jim set about writing a dictionary of criminal slang during his second term.
This dictionary would not only be the first published in Australia; but many of the words in it are still ones we use everyday. A celebration of our criminal heritage and our unique Aussie vernacular, Flash Jim by Kel Richards is a read that everyone (not just the legal eagles) can enjoy.
I’d been looking forward to reading Flash Jim since it came out in 2021 and had purposely held off till May 2022 so that I could read it as part of my month of legal themed books. My interest was piqued about a convict writing a dictionary, as that’s not something that happens everyday and Richards did a good job using Vaux’s biography as a base for Flash Jim.
Whilst I loved that his dictionary is included at the end; there isn’t that much about it in writing itself, rather the book focuses predominantly on Vaux’s criminal life. This isn’t a criticism per se; but rather something to be aware of.
A non-fiction book that will appeal to many, it’s a must for those with an interest in the law, Australian history, languages and words. Flash Jim is a unique read that is sure to surprise and read inform you.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
August 12, 2021
There is much to appreciate about this story. Very accessible and historically very interesting. There were many who came to these shores as convicts who were talented and resourceful and even when they 'write' their own story, as Vaux has done, it's oft a story worth reading.
It is difficult to image the life of the time and the standards / expectations of the time although clearly Jim was always ‘on the take’ a clever individual who is both frustrating but also charming, but to be convicted three times and transported back and forth .. that alone had many perils.
Educated, clever, charismatic and never wanting to be ordinary, or possibly just not wanting to do hard labour he had many opportunities to be successful but every time chose his own path .. or so his writings would have us believe.. the only person to have been transported three times!!
In the end I gave way to accepting the character / person and enjoyed the “piss take” because if the idea was to entertain then three transportations later is quite a price to pay by an individual who had alternative possibilities.
Of all the exploits it is curious that the dictionary is the legacy still with us now and the language journey is just as interesting as the story Flash Jim's told us through this writers work.
It is difficult to image the life of the time and the standards / expectations of the time although clearly Jim was always ‘on the take’ a clever individual who is both frustrating but also charming, but to be convicted three times and transported back and forth .. that alone had many perils.
Educated, clever, charismatic and never wanting to be ordinary, or possibly just not wanting to do hard labour he had many opportunities to be successful but every time chose his own path .. or so his writings would have us believe.. the only person to have been transported three times!!
In the end I gave way to accepting the character / person and enjoyed the “piss take” because if the idea was to entertain then three transportations later is quite a price to pay by an individual who had alternative possibilities.
Of all the exploits it is curious that the dictionary is the legacy still with us now and the language journey is just as interesting as the story Flash Jim's told us through this writers work.
November 26, 2021
For once the blurb does not lie. It is an astonishing story. If it were fiction it would fail the credibility test. Who would believe in a fictional character who was transported three times?
Vaux's dictionary is included as an appendix.
Magistrates, baffled by convict slang, some of it the thieves cant dating back to Elizabethan times, needed a translator, so Vaux ingratiated himself by producing a dictionary of slang. Ironically, in the dictionary slang means many things but slang is not one of them.
Slang: A watch chain.
To Slang someone: to cheat by fraud, called slanging him.
Slang'd:fettered
Slangs: fetters or chains of any kind used about prisoners.
The potential for confusion was perhaps not reduced by Vaux's work.
Vaux's dictionary is included as an appendix.
Magistrates, baffled by convict slang, some of it the thieves cant dating back to Elizabethan times, needed a translator, so Vaux ingratiated himself by producing a dictionary of slang. Ironically, in the dictionary slang means many things but slang is not one of them.
Slang: A watch chain.
To Slang someone: to cheat by fraud, called slanging him.
Slang'd:fettered
Slangs: fetters or chains of any kind used about prisoners.
The potential for confusion was perhaps not reduced by Vaux's work.
November 18, 2025
A rather disappointing book from Australia's own professed wordsmith, Kel Richards. Structurally it didn't flow. Was this a book about Australia's first dictionary or was it a biography of a con man? It's clearly both but so poorly integrated it could be two separate books. It is difficult to know which parts of this book are James Vaux's contribution and which bits are made up by Kel Richards. All in all, it's a rather unsatisfying dog's breakfast. I am intrigued that of the four endorsements that appear on the cover of the book, three are from noted right-wing anti-intellectuals: Alan Jones (!), Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin. Perhaps this explains the lack of structure in the book.
March 21, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised to read the detailed story of "Flash Jim" from his early days in England, then trips to Australia, and was a little disappointed not to know what became of the man who could write with such flair and competence. If only he had applied the same commitment to staying out of trouble. It was interesting to read the origins of some words that are still used and just as relevant today. The diligence to research for this book is commendable.
December 16, 2022
A very interesting biography of an English con man who had many adventures and was found guilty of many instances of theft and fraud. He was sentenced to no less than three sentences of transportation to Botany Bay in the early days of the colony. The book was based on Flash Jin's memoirs which were published in England in 1816 and he also wrote the first dictionary written in Australia which was a dictionary of Australian convict slang.
February 14, 2022
This tells the story of James Hardy Vaux and the creation of Australia's first dictionary, but really the focus is on Vaux's biography. This may well be due to the historical information available. The reprint of the dictionary is very interesting, especially showing how many of these words are still lingering around New Zealand.
July 10, 2025
Interesting to read about this convict who wrote Australia's first dictionary - words used by convicts and which baffled the authorities. There are still lots of terms we use today. I would have liked a bit more detail about life in early colonial Sydney. He was transported to NSW three times!
November 18, 2021
Interesting history
This is an interesting story giving an insight into the conditions leading to transportation to Australia and the life of convicts based on the life of Flash Jim
This is an interesting story giving an insight into the conditions leading to transportation to Australia and the life of convicts based on the life of Flash Jim
December 31, 2021
Discover the origins of Australian slang
February 6, 2022
What do you get when a well-educated 3-times-transported convict meets Cockney slang?
A ripper of a tale.
Australia’s first dictionary.
And also, somehow, this less-than compelling book…
It’s not that it’s written badly, it just doesn’t capture that 1820s atmosphere. Maybe the switches between historical analysis and fictionalised retelling are just too jarring.
A ripper of a tale.
Australia’s first dictionary.
And also, somehow, this less-than compelling book…
It’s not that it’s written badly, it just doesn’t capture that 1820s atmosphere. Maybe the switches between historical analysis and fictionalised retelling are just too jarring.
April 19, 2022
Great story of intelligent convict who was his own worst enemy
December 30, 2022
The book itself is good, I just didn't expect to dislike Flash Jim himself so much!
April 30, 2024
This reads like a forensic files dramatic reenactment (in a bad way)
July 18, 2022
I was really interested to read this book after coming across the updated version of James Hardy Vaux’s dictionary a few years ago. Unfortunately I found it disappointing. There is no attempt at analysis or to provide context to Vaux’s life and despite frequent reminders from the author that Vaux was a conman he seems to have swallowed his autobiography whole. The story of Vaux’s life is frequently interrupted to give us the author’s imagined conversations between Vaux and some respected elder where the 21st century moralising and clumsy attempt to use the slang from Vaux’s dictionary are painful to read. Women do not exist in this world unless they are fawning over Vaux, falling in love with him and failing to see they are being conned by him despite the pretty obvious street smarts they themselves are displaying.
All in all if you’re looking for interesting convict stories from colonial Australia I would recommend Sian Rees The Floating Brothel or David Hunt’s series of Girt books far and above this.
All in all if you’re looking for interesting convict stories from colonial Australia I would recommend Sian Rees The Floating Brothel or David Hunt’s series of Girt books far and above this.
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