John West was born in Liverpool, UK and emigrated to Australia as a school teacher in 1971. He left teaching to become a minister in the Anglican Church and served in Sydney, Newcastle and Grafton dioceses over twenty-five years before semi-retiring in 2016, from rector of the Parish Port Macquarie and his position as a Grafton Diocese missional archdeacon. John gained teaching certificates from the UK and NSW, a B.Th and an MA in Theology, which led to some part-time lecturing. He has three married children and four grandchildren through his marriage to his late wife, Susan. He has since re-married to Lisa in 2020. They live on the NSW Central Coast, while doing part-time locum work in the Newcastle Diocese.
Part I. Discovery: 1. Anthony Van Diemen, governor of Batavia
2. Colonel Purry's project
Part II. From 1803 go 1824: 1. Van Diemen's Land occupied
2. Hobart Town named
3. Lieutenant E. Lord acting lieutenant-governor
4. Form of colonial government
5. Lieutenant-Governor Sorrell
6. Sheep introduced
7. Whaling
8. Religious efforts
9. Bill for better administration of justice
Part III. From 1824 to 1836: 1. Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur, superintendent at Honduras
2. Rise of the Australian press
3. Van Diemen's Land Company formed
4. State of society at Hobart
5. Dispute between Jennings and Montagu
6. Grammar school
7. Bank of Van Diemen's Land
8. Liabilities of publicans
9. Endowment of emigrants with land
10. Van Diemen's Land divided into counties
11. Brisbane grants
12. Wakefield's colonization scheme
13. Bank of Australasia
14. Glorious 23rd of May!
15. Mr. W. Bryan's disagreement with Arthur
16. 'True Colonist'
17. Recall of Arthur
Part IV. From 1836 to 1843: 1. Snodgrass acting-governor
2. Difficulties respecting the churches
3. Education
4. Distillation forbidden
5. Franklin arranges probation system
Part V. From 1843 to 1847: 1. Sir William Denison meets the twelve
2. Struggle against transportation
3. London agency
4. Lord J. Russell's speech
5. The 'Australias are One'
Zoology: 1. Mammalia
2. Birds
3. Fishes
4. Reptiles
5. Insects
6. Mollusca.
