The Struggle Against Isolation: A History of the Manning Valley by John Ramsland (1987)

Author:
John Ramsland

Publisher:
Library of Australian History in association with Greater Taree City Council, North Sydney, NSW

Format:
Hardcover

Pages:
xv, 336 pages, plus [32] pages of plates with illustrations, maps, and portraits

ISBN:
0908120672

Condition:
Very Good – light wear to dust jacket; owner's name inside the front cover; internally clean and tightly bound.

Description:
The Struggle Against Isolation is a richly detailed history of the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, exploring the region’s social, cultural, and economic development from European settlement through the 20th century. Historian John Ramsland presents an inclusive narrative that also documents early contact with the Biripi people, the violence that followed, and later developments such as Aboriginal labour, mission life, and the impact of colonial welfare systems.

Notably, Chapter 16 – “The Biripi: From a Blackman’s Paradise to Purfleet” – is a critical resource for understanding the experiences of the Biripi people under colonial expansion, highlighting events such as the roles of Jimmy and Joe Governor, and the function of government-run Aboriginal welfare structures.

Why You’ll Love It:
Essential reading for researchers and readers with interests in Indigenous-settler relations, local history, and the complex legacies of colonisation. This work provides both a detailed account of European development and a candid, often confronting view of race relations in regional New South Wales.