America, Young America and Eureka

Abstract

I intend to explore in more detail the American connection to, and context for Eureka in three ways: first, through a brief review of the scattered sources to confirm what we know as fact about the American contribution to Eureka, what has been effectively 'unravelled'; secondly, by placing that information within a chronological context that, commencing in the early days of the Botany Bay colony, highlights the seminal importance of the 15 or so years preceding Eureka, as the Australian colonies for the first time engaged meaningfully with the United States - culturally, socially, politically and intellectually. Thirdly, I intend to broaden our 'perspective' on Eureka's American story by looking more closely at two contrasting American 'foreigners', both of whom produced published accounts of their Australian years.