Reading James Boyce’s Van Diemen’s Land: Reflections on a Penal Colony

While visiting Tasmania, I picked up a copy of Van Diemen’s Land by James Boyce—directly from the author at Hobart’s Salamanca Market. His book offers a clear and compelling account of Tasmania’s early years as a penal colony. It explores the colony’s convict system, environmental impact, and the dispossession of Aboriginal Tasmanians, prompting reflection on how these themes connect with my own family history research.