Vanguards of Empire: the lives of William Dawes, Watkin Tench and George Worgan

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the lives of three men brought together in one of the most significant ventures in empire building that Britain undertook: the European settlement of New South Wales. They came together as strangers in this new colony, and for a brief time found common interests and experiences before diverging on vastly different life trajectories. The thesis represents the first in-depth biographical studies of these men.

The thesis also considers these life studies as microhistories. They are small, particular histories during a period of considerable change in British imperial, political, religious and social life. Each man brought his own unique attributes to his experiences and to that extent they are not representative, but the commonality and diversity of their life experiences provide case studies that allow for a close consideration of how those who fall outside the definition of ‘great men’ contributed to the development of Britain and its empire. The lives assist in understanding how events help to shape individuals and how individuals help shape events. They are prisms through which can be seen a number of significant themes of the period: micro examples of macro influences, movements, and social, political, and economic developments of the period.

The value of biography as a means of better understanding history is examined. These men spent their lives working on the margins of empire, of power, and of society. Operating in small circles within larger groups of powerful elites they made their own personal contributions to the development of Britain and its empire. They displayed a sense of inquiry and an active interest in acquiring knowledge in the natural world as well as the human, and were prepared to challenge authority when they thought necessary. In this they exhibited the influences of their eighteenth century enlightenment backgrounds.