Amazing to see 'Along the Grain - the Epic Tale of the Binstead Family' hit the top 20 of Australian History books on Amazon! Sure it was only for a short while, but what a rush!
This epic story of the Binstead family starts in Sussex England in 1830, when Arthur and George Binstead participate in the Swing Riots. They were transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and this book takes you through that experience. But it also tells you what happened to the family after they got their full pardons. They never returned to England, but forged new stories in Penrith, Brisbane, Ipswich and Coomera. The Binsteads were some of the first purchasers of land in the new settlement in Brisbane. Arthur's son John and his wife Ellen then moved to Ipswich, where they were pub licensees. John and Ellen's son Arthur (there are 9 Arthur Binsteads in this tale!!) then moved to Coomera where he drove bullocks to move timber from the rough scrub.
It's a great story and involves a lot more than just a recitation of dates of birth, marriage and death. We know a lot about the Binstead family because of the significance of the Swing Riots and their convict experience.
A great book for Binstead descendants, but also for anyone who is interested in the lived experience of these people both as convicts and free citizens.
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