Roderick Flanagan

However, in that short span he made a major contribution to the understanding of Indigenous Australians, established a newspaper in Melbourne, wrote many poems and prose about his adopted land, and wrote a major history of New South Wales which into the beginning of the 20th century was considered to be the main reference work on the early European presence in Australia.

Shortly after this he commenced work at Sir Henry Parkes newspaper The People's Advocate and New South Wales Vindicator.

It was entitled: The History of New South Wales with an Account of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), New Zealand, Port Phillip (Victoria), Moreton Bay and other Australian Settlements.

[4] The book was considered the standard text on Australia for many years and received considerable praise from the Sydney Morning Herald and the Empire.

[5] His entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography describes his chapter on the Myall Creek massacre as "a restrained exercise in the use of evidence to prove guilt".