Australian historical fiction tends to fall into some dominant categories, reflecting perennial themes that are forever being reinterpreted: first settlement, European inland exploration, pastoralism, conflict with Indigenous Australians, patriotism and war are common themes of Australian historical fiction. In writing these novels and responding to these themes, among other things, novelists inform readers much about how Australians think of themselves and of how they perceive the Australian nation. Novels often challenge conventional values in these respects. Certainly, they offer engaging insights for students into Australian history.

National character and our convict heritage

For the most part, Australia's history is founded on the convict past. Only South Australia is excluded from this history. But even then, many South Australians continue to research their convict heritage. Not surprisingly, Australian convict history is enormously popular with the general public.

Here I am concerned with examining some of the ways in which historical fiction dealing with our convict past can shed new understanding on this aspect of our history in ways that fail nonfiction. Can fiction offer a dimension of understanding on this subject that nonfiction cannot? I first offer a brief survey and analysis of the nonfiction convict history, before proceeding to examine some examples of the fictional genre.

A casual stroll through any section of any reputable Australian bookseller will reveal the quantity of convict histories in fictional and nonfictional genres.