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Australians #1
Australians: Origins to Eureka
The outstanding first volume of acclaimed author Thomas Keneally's major new three-volume history of Australia brings to life the vast range of characters who have formed Australia's national story Convicts and Aborigines, settlers and soldiers, patriots and reformers, bushrangers and gold seekers—it is from their lives and their stories that Tom Keneally has woven a vibrant history to do full justice to the rich and colorful nature of Australia's unique national character. The story begins by looking at European occupation through Aboriginal eyes, moving between the city slums and rural hovels of 18th-century Britain and the shores of Port Jackson. Readers spend time on the low-roofed convict decks of transports and see the bewilderment of the Eora people as they see the first ships of turaga, or "ghost people." They follow the daily round of Bennelong and his wife Barangaroo and the tribulations of warrior Windradyne. Convicts like Solomon Wiseman and John Wilson find their feet and even fortune, while Henry Parkes' arrival as a penniless immigrant gives few clues to the national statesman he was to become. Chinese diggers trek to the goldfields, and revolutionaries like Italian Raffaello Carboni and black American John Joseph bring readers the drama of the Eureka uprising. Tom Keneally has brought to life the high and the low, the convict and the free of early Australian society. This is truly a new history of Australia, by an author of outstanding literary skill and experience, whose own humanity permeates every page.
628 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
80 people are currently reading
788 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Keneally
121 books1,302 followersThomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 20, 2019
This one's a cheerful, colourful look at the founding of modern Australia from the Convict Fleets up to the Eureka uprising, taking in such disparate elements as Georgian punishment (though not do much the crimes), the Irish diaspora and the growth of Australian identity.
Told in the voices of the great and the not so great, it's a wonderful evocation of the birth of a nation, although the reliance on one of Keneally's earlier books (The Commonwealth of Thieves: The Story of the Founding of Australia) put a bit of a crimp on the narrative and (criminally) made me put it aside for too long.
Well worth reading if you're interested in Australian history, but be prepared to possibly read some material you've already seen if you've already read Keneally.
Told in the voices of the great and the not so great, it's a wonderful evocation of the birth of a nation, although the reliance on one of Keneally's earlier books (The Commonwealth of Thieves: The Story of the Founding of Australia) put a bit of a crimp on the narrative and (criminally) made me put it aside for too long.
Well worth reading if you're interested in Australian history, but be prepared to possibly read some material you've already seen if you've already read Keneally.
October 11, 2025
Review:
Thomas Keneally’s Australians: Origins to Eureka (Volume 1 of his three-volume popular history) covers the years 1788–1855—from the First Fleet through early settlement, frontier violence, social experiments, convict life, and up to the Eureka Stockade. It’s not a conventional academic history like Manning Clark’s; instead, it’s written in a narrative, anecdotal, character-driven style, almost like a series of portraits.
Keneally avoids a “dry” institutional history. He gives life stories of convicts, soldiers, governors, settlers, Indigenous leaders, missionaries, and rebels. His approach makes the reader feel the personal struggles, resilience, and moral dilemmas of individuals, rather than abstract forces alone.
Keneally confronts the reality of frontier wars, massacres, and the destruction of Aboriginal societies, while also highlighting Aboriginal resistance and adaptation. He often frames these conflicts in human stories—both from the colonisers’ and Indigenous perspectives—rather than as faceless “events.”
Key figures presented in this volume are:
1) Founding and Early Colony
- Arthur Phillip – First Governor (1788–92). Practical, humane, tried to maintain fair relations with the Eora, but constrained by Britain’s neglect.
- Bennelong – Eora man who became an intermediary between his people and the British. Symbol of both cultural bridge and tragic cost of colonisation.
- John Macarthur – Soldier turned pastoralist; pioneer of the wool industry. Ambitious, manipulative, central in Rum Rebellion.
- Elizabeth Macarthur – His wife, managed estates during his absences, crucial in the growth of fine merino wool.
2) Convicts and Emancipists
- Mary Bryant – Famous female convict who escaped Sydney by sea to Timor; folk-hero figure of daring and resilience.
- Francis Greenway – Convict architect, patronised by Macquarie, responsible for some of Sydney’s early public buildings.
- William Redfern – Convict doctor, advocate for emancipists, respected surgeon.
- Caroline Chisholm – “Immigrants’ friend,” humanitarian who helped female migrants and families establish themselves.
3) Governors and Officials
- William Bligh – Governor (1806–08), naval hero of the “Mutiny on the Bounty,” overthrown in the Rum Rebellion.
- Lachlan Macquarie – Governor (1810–21), visionary reformer; encouraged emancipists, built infrastructure, expanded settlement.
- Ralph Darling – Governor (1825–31), authoritarian, clashed with press and settlers.
- George Gipps – Governor (1838–46), fair-minded, tried to protect Aboriginal land rights but resisted by squatters.
4) Frontier Wars and Indigenous Resistance
- Pemulwuy – Eora warrior, led guerrilla campaigns against settlers in Sydney region until killed (1802).
- Windradyne – Wiradjuri leader, resisted settlers in Bathurst region (1820s).
- Yagan – Noongar warrior from WA, resisted settlement, killed 1833.
- Truganini – Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, witness to the destruction of her people, later symbol of survival and loss.
5) Bushrangers and Rebels
- Jack Donahue – “Bold Jack,” notorious bushranger of the 1820s; outlaw ballads made him a folk figure.
- Matthew Brady – “Gentleman bushranger” of Van Diemen’s Land, remembered for politeness and gallantry.
6) Eureka Figures:
- Peter Lalor – Irish leader of the Eureka Stockade (1854), later politician.
- Raffaello Carboni – Italian miner, chronicler of Eureka.
- Governor Charles Hotham – Victorian governor during Eureka crisis.
7) Press, and Reform
- John Dunmore Lang – Presbyterian minister, radical reformer, advocate for immigration and independence.
- William Wentworth – Explorer, lawyer, politician, champion of press freedom and self-government.
- Henry Parkes – Journalist, later “Father of Federation”; early career emerges here.
Notes:
- Arthur Phillip was born in 1738 in London. His father was German, a teacher of languages.(p.43)
- In August 1790 Philllip was speared by one of the natives - Willemerring. This act was considered to be a cultural manifestation of natives' objection to increasing numbers of people arriving in their land. (p.155)
- In April 1791 Phillip organised an expediiton to get across Blue Mountains but they were defeated by a heavy bush. (p.174).
- Phillip always insisted on equity in rationing, which was a new experience for many convicts used to the corrupt systems of supply in prison (p.209).
- Phillip left Australia on 11 December 1792, accompanied by Bennelong, and arrived at Falmouth at the and of May 1793 (p.210).
- Left to govern New South Wales was Francis Grose created a private sector consisting his officers, some former convicts and handful of free settlers, allowing the sale of a quantity of spirits (p212).
- In December 1794, Grose reurned to England for health reasons leaving the penal settlement in the hands of Captain William Paterson, Commandant of the New South Wales Corps. In September 1795 a new governor - Captain John Hunter. He brought with him Bennelong (p.216). He was recalled in 1799 for his inability to control the military monopoly of trade. (p.225).
- Philip Gidley King became governor of New South Wales in 1800.
- Macarthur provoked a duel with Paterson, his superior officer. (p.245)
- Earl Camden signed off a 10,000 acre grant to Macarthur and organised for him to leave the army to devote himself full-time to the wool enterprise. (p.248)
- Henry Savery (1791-1842), a convict transported to Port Arthur, Tasmania was Australia's first novelist (p.313). James tucker (1808-1888) was its second (p.317).
Thomas Keneally’s Australians: Origins to Eureka (Volume 1 of his three-volume popular history) covers the years 1788–1855—from the First Fleet through early settlement, frontier violence, social experiments, convict life, and up to the Eureka Stockade. It’s not a conventional academic history like Manning Clark’s; instead, it’s written in a narrative, anecdotal, character-driven style, almost like a series of portraits.
Keneally avoids a “dry” institutional history. He gives life stories of convicts, soldiers, governors, settlers, Indigenous leaders, missionaries, and rebels. His approach makes the reader feel the personal struggles, resilience, and moral dilemmas of individuals, rather than abstract forces alone.
Keneally confronts the reality of frontier wars, massacres, and the destruction of Aboriginal societies, while also highlighting Aboriginal resistance and adaptation. He often frames these conflicts in human stories—both from the colonisers’ and Indigenous perspectives—rather than as faceless “events.”
Key figures presented in this volume are:
1) Founding and Early Colony
- Arthur Phillip – First Governor (1788–92). Practical, humane, tried to maintain fair relations with the Eora, but constrained by Britain’s neglect.
- Bennelong – Eora man who became an intermediary between his people and the British. Symbol of both cultural bridge and tragic cost of colonisation.
- John Macarthur – Soldier turned pastoralist; pioneer of the wool industry. Ambitious, manipulative, central in Rum Rebellion.
- Elizabeth Macarthur – His wife, managed estates during his absences, crucial in the growth of fine merino wool.
2) Convicts and Emancipists
- Mary Bryant – Famous female convict who escaped Sydney by sea to Timor; folk-hero figure of daring and resilience.
- Francis Greenway – Convict architect, patronised by Macquarie, responsible for some of Sydney’s early public buildings.
- William Redfern – Convict doctor, advocate for emancipists, respected surgeon.
- Caroline Chisholm – “Immigrants’ friend,” humanitarian who helped female migrants and families establish themselves.
3) Governors and Officials
- William Bligh – Governor (1806–08), naval hero of the “Mutiny on the Bounty,” overthrown in the Rum Rebellion.
- Lachlan Macquarie – Governor (1810–21), visionary reformer; encouraged emancipists, built infrastructure, expanded settlement.
- Ralph Darling – Governor (1825–31), authoritarian, clashed with press and settlers.
- George Gipps – Governor (1838–46), fair-minded, tried to protect Aboriginal land rights but resisted by squatters.
4) Frontier Wars and Indigenous Resistance
- Pemulwuy – Eora warrior, led guerrilla campaigns against settlers in Sydney region until killed (1802).
- Windradyne – Wiradjuri leader, resisted settlers in Bathurst region (1820s).
- Yagan – Noongar warrior from WA, resisted settlement, killed 1833.
- Truganini – Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, witness to the destruction of her people, later symbol of survival and loss.
5) Bushrangers and Rebels
- Jack Donahue – “Bold Jack,” notorious bushranger of the 1820s; outlaw ballads made him a folk figure.
- Matthew Brady – “Gentleman bushranger” of Van Diemen’s Land, remembered for politeness and gallantry.
6) Eureka Figures:
- Peter Lalor – Irish leader of the Eureka Stockade (1854), later politician.
- Raffaello Carboni – Italian miner, chronicler of Eureka.
- Governor Charles Hotham – Victorian governor during Eureka crisis.
7) Press, and Reform
- John Dunmore Lang – Presbyterian minister, radical reformer, advocate for immigration and independence.
- William Wentworth – Explorer, lawyer, politician, champion of press freedom and self-government.
- Henry Parkes – Journalist, later “Father of Federation”; early career emerges here.
Notes:
- Arthur Phillip was born in 1738 in London. His father was German, a teacher of languages.(p.43)
- In August 1790 Philllip was speared by one of the natives - Willemerring. This act was considered to be a cultural manifestation of natives' objection to increasing numbers of people arriving in their land. (p.155)
- In April 1791 Phillip organised an expediiton to get across Blue Mountains but they were defeated by a heavy bush. (p.174).
- Phillip always insisted on equity in rationing, which was a new experience for many convicts used to the corrupt systems of supply in prison (p.209).
- Phillip left Australia on 11 December 1792, accompanied by Bennelong, and arrived at Falmouth at the and of May 1793 (p.210).
- Left to govern New South Wales was Francis Grose created a private sector consisting his officers, some former convicts and handful of free settlers, allowing the sale of a quantity of spirits (p212).
- In December 1794, Grose reurned to England for health reasons leaving the penal settlement in the hands of Captain William Paterson, Commandant of the New South Wales Corps. In September 1795 a new governor - Captain John Hunter. He brought with him Bennelong (p.216). He was recalled in 1799 for his inability to control the military monopoly of trade. (p.225).
- Philip Gidley King became governor of New South Wales in 1800.
- Macarthur provoked a duel with Paterson, his superior officer. (p.245)
- Earl Camden signed off a 10,000 acre grant to Macarthur and organised for him to leave the army to devote himself full-time to the wool enterprise. (p.248)
- Henry Savery (1791-1842), a convict transported to Port Arthur, Tasmania was Australia's first novelist (p.313). James tucker (1808-1888) was its second (p.317).
May 14, 2017
I have always had a love for Australia but I don't have a great grasp of their history. I got this book in hopes of correcting that deficiency. This is a history book written in the narrative style of Shleby Foote, told from the perspective of both the major and minor characters of the events portrayed. One of the challenges for me is I don't know who the major and minor characters are! At times this could be a touch confusing but that is more my fault than the fault of the author. The book progresses in what I can only describe as a "linear spiral". It moves forward but will on occasion jump back a few years to pick up another thought or concept. The reading of the book not only sheds a light on how the under class/caste of people were treated in Briton during the later 18th and earlier 19th history, it also causes this American reader to review the history and the current events of our country as well. While admitting a distinct lack of knowledge of the formation of the various Australian colonies which would later form the states of Australia, it seemed to me at times that there was a much larger focus spent on New South Wales and its start in comparison how the other colonies came to be (Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia). I would be curious to know what an Australian would think. I wish there was some sort of map included in the endpages or in an appendix. I found myself checking maps online frequently as my lack of knowledge with respect to Australian geography made it difficult for me to place locations in my mind. All in all this was a well written book that from my perspective seemed nicely balanced between the various viewpoints of how this great nation came to be. I would like to get the second volume and continue the story. A book well worth my time and I am glad I got a chance to read it.
March 6, 2019
Loved it.
Want to read
March 6, 2014Description: Convicts and Aborigines, settlers and soldiers, patriots and reformers, bushrangers and gold seekersΓÇöit is from their lives and their stories that Tom Keneally has woven a vibrant history to do full justice to the rich and colorful nature of Australia's unique national character. The story begins by looking at European occupation through Aboriginal eyes, moving between the city slums and rural hovels of 18th-century Britain and the shores of Port Jackson. Readers spend time on the low-roofed convict decks of transports and see the bewilderment of the Eora people as they see the first ships of turaga, or "ghost people." They follow the daily round of Bennelong and his wife Barangaroo and the tribulations of warrior Windradyne. Convicts like Solomon Wiseman and John Wilson find their feet and even fortune, while Henry Parkes' arrival as a penniless immigrant gives few clues to the national statesman he was to become. Chinese diggers trek to the goldfields, and revolutionaries like Italian Raffaello Carboni and black American John Joseph bring readers the drama of the Eureka uprising. Tom Keneally has brought to life the high and the low, the convict and the free of early Australian society. This is truly a new history of Australia, by an author of outstanding literary skill and experience, whose own humanity permeates every page.
January 26, 2015
For the most part, a wonderfully compelling account of the origins and founding of our great nation. Well recommended for someone desiring to gain a grasp on basic Australian history or to understand the Australian psyche.
September 21, 2025
Keneally means historical fiction to me, and I was delighted to see him at work with straight history. The book felt like social history, and the experiences of his main ¨characters,¨ collected into thematic sections made the book very realistic and work-a-day. Being unfamiliar with Australian history (after all, it´s why I read the book) it was sometimes hard to remember what many of the figures had done in previous chapters. Fortunately, there is a really inspired index.
I put this on my ¨Migrants¨ shelf because there is a lot of emphasis on the different waves of people who settled the continent and the adjustments they had to make.
I put this on my ¨Migrants¨ shelf because there is a lot of emphasis on the different waves of people who settled the continent and the adjustments they had to make.
August 17, 2019
It's taken me a year to read this. Not because it's a hard read, but because it's such a spread of topics and time that I found it best savoured and appreciated in smaller doses. To some extent, the history is coloured by Keneally's own biases, particularly his Irish heritage, but whose view of history isn't biased? He has a point of view and it's informative to see Australia from where he sits. I look forward to taking a year to read the second volume.
September 3, 2017
Bit long - also I feel the content is not very well balanced.
February 7, 2026
Excellent
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
A well-researched and entertaining history of Australia.
Previously to reading this book I only knew the highlights of Australian history, so I read everything at the edge of my seat not knowing what was going to happen next.
It's focused mainly on notorious and infamous people; and though at times it was difficult to follow all the different historical people and their lives, it was extremely interesting nonetheless.
I loved learning about some of the culture and rituals of Aboriginal Australians and what it was like for the early European settlers to live in colonies where almost everyone was a criminal. If you were a woman living at this time you were quite literally fucked. It's a horrifying and shilling experience to get some glimpses into what their lives must have been like.
I definitely recommend its reading to anyone interested in Australian history.
Previously to reading this book I only knew the highlights of Australian history, so I read everything at the edge of my seat not knowing what was going to happen next.
It's focused mainly on notorious and infamous people; and though at times it was difficult to follow all the different historical people and their lives, it was extremely interesting nonetheless.
I loved learning about some of the culture and rituals of Aboriginal Australians and what it was like for the early European settlers to live in colonies where almost everyone was a criminal. If you were a woman living at this time you were quite literally fucked. It's a horrifying and shilling experience to get some glimpses into what their lives must have been like.
I definitely recommend its reading to anyone interested in Australian history.
August 23, 2015
This first book of the Australians trilogy was exactly what I wanted. Keneally's approach was to focus on individuals (many historical figures, some people not at all well known) and their experiences as examples of life at particular times, and how those times changed over the decades. This gave me enough detail to help illustrate Australia as a people and place changing over time, while at the same time keeping me interested by drawing me into the stories of individuals. I'd wanted a history of Australia, more than a Wikipedia outline and less that a fully analyzed history treatise, and this is giving me exactly that.
August 5, 2016
It's an interesting book though it suffers from a comparison with "From the Fatal Shore". This is history told as anecdote rather than story. There's no great narrative drive to it but it's a very readable collection of individual perspectives on events in Australian history. It improves as it gets closer to modern times. The brief account of the Eureka stockade and the ensuing trails was the best part of the book. The meshing of law, politics and personal accounts comes naturally to the writer. It's a good (though not great) start to what will be an enjoyable trilogy.
March 23, 2016
Keneally can just write and write. He puts personalities around names and occasions as he traces Australia's history from the arrival of the First Fleet to the aftermath of the 1850s gold riots. My only complaints would be the book focuses to much on NSW with little coverage on other parts of the country as well as the Aboriginals seem to have disappeared early in the book (which might have been a reflection of what did actually happen).
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September 27, 2015This trilogy (which is still being written) is essential reading for anyone interested in Australian history. Keneally, the author responsible for ‘The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith’ (made into a classic Aussie movie) and ‘Schindler’s Ark’ (filmed as ‘Schindler’s List’), shares the stories of the “little people” in Australia’s past. These are real stories of real people, set in their proper context of Australia’s larger history, and described with a novelist’s style.
November 4, 2013
Never let it be said that my mother in-law doesn't know have clue when it comes to buying me a book.
Thomas Keneally gives a very good narrative account on the island continent. As the title states, it's formation up until the events of Eureka Stockades.
A good read which I found thoroughly enjoyable.
Thomas Keneally gives a very good narrative account on the island continent. As the title states, it's formation up until the events of Eureka Stockades.
A good read which I found thoroughly enjoyable.
December 29, 2013
I find Australian history very interesting, so I enjoyed this book. I did find some parts a little hard going, and had to have a break from it every now & then, but overall I liked it & learnt a lot at the same time!
June 26, 2012
Brilliant to read.
July 10, 2013
Absorbing & wholly informative account of Australia's settlement & infancy.
October 22, 2013
Very interesting, characters come to life. I already ordered part II of this trilogy.
December 18, 2015
A brilliant piece of writing. Well researched and informative. I have the next two books in this series and look forward to reading them.
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May 28, 2019A monumental work of Australian history, detailing what is known about Australian prehistory and the peopling of the continent by the aboriginals, and then S.E. Asian, Chinese and European exploration of the region. Heavy emphasis is given to the voyage of James Cook in 1770 and the "First Fleet" of 1788 and the use of Australia as a penal colony. The history covers the emergence of Australia as a true country of its own, up to 1860.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews