Gwen Chessell

Alexander Collie: Colonial Surgeon, Naturalist and Explorer Gwen Chessell

This is the first book-length biography of the remarkable Scottish pioneer who accompanied Lieutenant-Governor James Stirling to Western Australia's fledgling Swan River Colony in 1829. With the assistance of his Aboriginal guide, Collie's expeditions across the state's southwest yielded many botanical, geographical, and meteorological discoveries that were essential to the colony's expansion and development over subsequent decades. Author Gwen Chessell's meticulous research vividly recreates the harsh conditions endured by Collie and his fellow Swan River colonists.