The Young Australians: John Larkins and Bruce Howard

For the first generation of young white Australians, life was largely a battle for survival. But a large number did survive and with their parents - petty criminals, Marines and free settlers - became the nucleus of a nation. For those born to wealthy families, the path ahead was clear: they would be the founders of colonial dynasties, businessmen, landowners and society leaders. But for the less privileged were the slums that by the mid-nineteenth century were as terrible as any in the northern hemisphere . The gold rushes, two World Wars and the Great Depression affected the lives of Australian children and then came the immigration boom of the 1950s and 1960s, changing and enriching the predominantly Anglo-Saxon society. A fascinating book covering the children of Australia - and all aspects of being a child in Australia - since 1788. Illustrated with colour and black and white photos.