The Present Picture of New South Wales (1811)

In Short

First published in 1811, this administrative survey tracks the development of New South Wales from its rocky establishment through two decades of growth, civil unrest, and structural transformation. Combining statistical censuses, official municipal orders, local natural history, and political critiques, David Dickinson Mann provides a firsthand examination of colonial governance. He details the economic expansion, social vices, legal shortcomings, and institutional corruption shaping the territory. Ultimately, the work functions as both a historical record and an urgent reform proposal, offering concrete policy recommendations to ensure the settlement’s long-term economic independence and moral stability.

The Story

The narrative opens with a historical retrospective of the colony’s initial settlement under Governor Arthur Phillip and the difficult years that followed. Mann describes a fragile society constantly threatened by supply shortages, harsh terrain, and internal strife. Early progress occurs in fits and starts, stabilized briefly by the benevolent and pragmatic administration of Governor John Hunter. During Hunter’s tenure, civic infrastructure takes root: public buildings are constructed, a printing press is established, trade expands, and wild cattle herds are discovered thriving in the interior. However, this period of growth is continually challenged by food scarcity, arson, native resistance, and widespread convict insubordination.

As the record advances through the administrations of Governors Philip Gidley King and William Bligh, the account shifts toward the growing operational complexities of the colony. Mann reproduces official general orders that illustrate a society attempting to regulate every aspect of daily life. The administration issues strict rules regarding coal and timber extraction, convict labor, spirit permits, river navigation, and public movement. Despite these heavy regulatory measures, severe disruptions continue. The narrative details violent convict insurrections, flood disasters along the Hawkesbury River, deadly storms, and bold escapes by prisoners seizing ships in Sydney Cove. Parallel to these administrative struggles, small-scale exploratory expeditions attempt to breach the formidable natural boundary of the Blue Mountains, though all early efforts—including Mann’s own four-day trek—end in defeat against the rugged terrain.

In its final movement, the text transitions from historical chronicle to a thorough analysis of the colony's contemporary state and future potential. Mann presents exhaustive statistical surveys covering agriculture, livestock, population metrics, local commerce, and civic layout. He then launches a severe critique of the colony's structural vulnerabilities. He identifies a pervasive economic monopoly driven by the unregulated traffic of spirituous liquors, which has corrupted military officers, civil officials, and freed convicts alike. This speculative economy causes widespread land abandonment, rampant inflation, and a breakdown of military discipline. To remedy these failures, Mann concludes with a comprehensive plan for reform: replacing corrupt military tribunals with independent civil and criminal courts, introducing professional legal counsel, opening free trade, consolidating government shipping contracts, and appointing a governor free from private commercial interests.

How It Unfolds

The settlement takes root Governor Hunter assumes control of a starving colony, successfully stabilizing food supplies while erecting essential civic infrastructure, including granaries, military barracks, printing facilities, and a town clock in Sydney.

Law and chaos collide Government directives attempt to enforce order through strict regulations on travel passes, spirit permits, and penal labor, yet the colony suffers constant setbacks from convict revolts, flood disasters, and dramatic executions.

The interior remains closed Explorers, including the author and French officer M. Barrallier, attempt to cross the imposing precipices of the Blue Mountains, but harsh conditions and dwindling provisions force every expedition to turn back.

Commerce and vice expand Sydney evolves into a bustling commercial center with decorated shops, active breweries, and luxury trade, yet this economic growth is severely undermined by a ruinous internal trade in spirits and widespread land desertion.

A call for structural reform Analyzing systemic corruption and judicial bias, the author outlines an overhaul of colonial governance, advocating for independent courts, professional lawyers, open maritime trade, and dedicated agricultural incentives.

The People

• John Hunter – The former Governor-in-Chief of New South Wales whose five-year administration is held up as the gold standard of colonial leadership. He seeks to build a stable, prosperous settlement through humane governance and pragmatic public works, leaving office widely beloved by the populace.
• William Bligh – The naval officer who assumes the governorship during a period of rising political tension. He attempts to enforce strict crown regulations against a deeply entrenched trade monopoly, facing resistance from commercial and military factions before his authority is disrupted.
• George Barrington – The former high-profile London pickpocket who transforms his life in exile to become the respected Chief Constable at Parramatta. He seeks personal redemption through diligent public service and Christian piety, eventually dying in a state of melancholy brought on by remorse for his past.
• Joseph Samuels – A convicted burglar whose extraordinary ordeal at the gallows captures the settlement's attention. After surviving three consecutive execution attempts due to snapping ropes and unraveling knots, he receives a gubernatorial pardon, only to later perish while attempting to escape the colony by sea.

In Its Own Voice

"The liberal and enlightened measures adopted by you, consolidated the happiness, and increased the security of the colony; and the tears which were shed at your departure were the most grateful tributes which could be paid to your exalted worth."

In his opening dedication to former Governor John Hunter, Mann highlights the positive impact of compassionate, dedicated leadership during the colony's formative years.

"I myself made an excursion to these mountains, in the year 1807... but after mounting the steep acclivities for four days, until I found my stock of provisions sensibly diminishing, I thought it most prudent to re-trace my way."

Describing his personal expedition into the Blue Mountains, the author illustrates the formidable geographical barriers that restricted early territorial expansion.

"One dealer was known to have cleared twelve hundred pounds sterling in four weeks, and chiefly by the sale of spirits..."

In his critique of colonial commerce, Mann underscores how the lucrative rum trade corrupted public officials and distracted settlers from productive agriculture.

What It's Really About

At its core, the text examines how institutional design and economic incentives shape a developing society. Mann argues that a penal colony cannot successfully transition into a self-sustaining civic community as long as private monopolies and corrupt officials extract wealth from the public good. The work exposes the disastrous social effects of using spirituous liquors as a primary currency, showing how rapid, illicit fortunes undermine civic duty, honest labor, and military discipline. Furthermore, it addresses the fundamental necessity of an impartial legal system, demonstrating that true order and economic progress require independent courts, professional legal advocates, and governance unencumbered by private commercial interests.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an irreplaceable, firsthand perspective on the raw, unvarnished mechanics of early Australian colonization. Historians, sociologists, and casual readers interested in imperial history will appreciate the author's meticulous attention to detail, which captures everything from the exact prices of passage-boat freight to the physical layout of early Sydney's streets. The narrative carries a grounded, authentic rhythm, balancing dry administrative record-keeping with vivid accounts of survival, disaster, and human eccentricity.

Readers should be prepared for period-specific prose structures, extensive statistical inventories, and long excerpts of official government decrees. Additionally, the text reflects early nineteenth-century colonial attitudes toward Indigenous populations and transported convicts, viewing both through the lens of British administrative authority. Despite these archival complexities, the book remains a compelling case study in nation-building, administrative struggle, and the constant tension between public duty and private greed.