Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania, was first colonised by Europeans in 1803. It began as a penal colony, however by 1853 the transportation of convicts had ended. This change was championed by the Australasian League, led by Launceston’s Reverend John West.
The ideas of this movement led to Australian self-government and changed the way Tasmanians saw themselves and their history. This is the story of how, from small beginnings in Launceston, a movement grew that was to change Australia.
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