Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/100737
Type: Theses
Title: Gentleman squatters, ‘self-made’ men and soldiers: masculinities in nineteenth century Australia
Author: Ewart, Helen Patricia
Issue Date: 2016
School/Discipline: School of Social Sciences
Abstract: This thesis is an exploration of the diversities of rural Australian colonial masculinities, during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, moderated by place, religion, and class. Close-grained micro-histories have been produced about the two sites for this thesis, Mudgee in New South Wales and Gawler in South Australia. These micro histories, set within overarching movements in nineteenth - century society reveal both some general similarities and differences between the two towns, based upon their geography, economy and class structure and the religious and social values of their inhabitants. The different histories of the two colonies, along with all these factors affected the kinds of opportunities which were open to the six male subjects of this thesis. The micro histories are not intended to be a ‘total historical account’ rather, as Caroline Daley contends they ‘offers insights into the meanings of gender in the lives’ of the six men, three from each town, presented in the individual biographical chapters. The thesis argues that the two different environments made possible differing modes of masculinity. Furthermore, the subjects reveal more nuanced and diverse images of masculinity than what has been seen as the hegemonic ideal of masculinity for the period, namely - the lower class pastoral worker, or ‘the bushman’, which has been being articulated as the embodiment of the typical Australian. The subjects with one exception did not make any reference to this celebrated representation let alone the much debated ‘Coming Man’ or the ‘Australian type’. Rather, the British heritage was crucial. The thesis draws widely upon the literatures around masculinities, chiefly from Britain and the United States to present the six richly detailed biographical studies of these men, each set within his family, religion, class and community.
Advisor: Allen, Margaret Ellen
Dissertation Note: Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences, 2016.
Keywords: Nineteenth century Australian history
gender
masculinities
place
religion
class
Provenance: This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals
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