Rum

The Resource Rum
Label
Rum
Statement of responsibility
Matt Murphy
Title variation
Rum
Title variation remainder
a distilled history of colonial Australia
Creator
Author
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
Australia and its formation - through the distorted view of a rum bottle. Could the Rum Rebellion have been averted if Major Johnston wasn't too hungover to meet Governor Bligh? Would the Eureka Stockade have played out differently if the rebels weren't pissed? How were prisoners to get drunk if Macquarie closed the only pub in the gaol? And why should sailors under fourteen be deprived of their sixteen shots of rum per day? These are just some of the questions answered in Matt Murphy's diverting account of this country's colonial history according to rum. Brimming with detailed research and irreverent character sketches, Rum looks at not just how much was drunk in colonial Australia (a lot!), but also the lengths people went to get their hands on it, the futile efforts of the early governors to control it and the often disastrous and/or absurd consequences of its consumption. They are consequences that are felt today. Murphy goes beyond foundational stories, to look at distant and recent history, Indigenous consumption, the temperance movement, lockout laws, and the nation's modern reputation. And if that's too much nation-building for your tipple, there's always the vexed issue of politicians urinating on the parliamentary carpet. So here's to Rum, for making bad decisions look like a good idea at the time
Biography type
contains biographical information
Cataloging source
NRML
Dewey number
994.02
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
no index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
Target audience
adult

Context

Context of Rum

Work of

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