The Australian Convict Recipe Book
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
Step back into one of Australia's most turbulent and fascinating eras with The Australian Convict Recipe Book, a unique culinary and historical document that resurrects the day-to-day life of convict society in colonial Australia. Centred on the remarkable story of ex-convict Bessie Baldwin, who served as cook to Sir John and Lady Franklin at Government House between 1842 and 1849, this volume presents practical recipes drawn from a world where resourcefulness and survival were paramount. Rich with historical insights and illustrated with old photographs, it chronicles the food, labour, and domestic life that underpinned Australia's penal settlements with vivid authenticity. Beyond its role as a recipe collection, this work stands as a rare primary-source window into the lived experience of convict women in Van Diemen's Land — their skills, their servitude, and their quiet resilience. The inclusion of historical context alongside period photographs transforms each recipe into a social document, illuminating the complex hierarchy of colonial household life. Whether you are a culinary historian, an Australiana collector, or simply curious about the untold stories behind Australia's founding, this singular volume will leave you with an appetite for more.
Author: Bessie Baldwin
Format: Paperback
Genre: Cookery
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
Step back into one of Australia's most turbulent and fascinating eras with The Australian Convict Recipe Book, a unique culinary and historical document that resurrects the day-to-day life of convict society in colonial Australia. Centred on the remarkable story of ex-convict Bessie Baldwin, who served as cook to Sir John and Lady Franklin at Government House between 1842 and 1849, this volume presents practical recipes drawn from a world where resourcefulness and survival were paramount. Rich with historical insights and illustrated with old photographs, it chronicles the food, labour, and domestic life that underpinned Australia's penal settlements with vivid authenticity. Beyond its role as a recipe collection, this work stands as a rare primary-source window into the lived experience of convict women in Van Diemen's Land — their skills, their servitude, and their quiet resilience. The inclusion of historical context alongside period photographs transforms each recipe into a social document, illuminating the complex hierarchy of colonial household life. Whether you are a culinary historian, an Australiana collector, or simply curious about the untold stories behind Australia's founding, this singular volume will leave you with an appetite for more.