by Pamela Statham Drew
James  Stirling and the Birth of the Swan River Colony, is a small-illustrated volume about the first Governor of Western Australia. It is a condensed version of the outstanding 655 page biography by Pamela Statham Drew, which was launched in 2003. As the launcher of that book, Governor John Sanderson, has said, both versions make absorbing reading. Stirling’s story is an integral part of the struggle of empire building that characterised the first half of the 19th Century,  and his leadership, ambition and courage match those of many celebrated British heroes of that period. Without him we might have had a very different Australia with the Western third speaking a different language. The beautifully illustrated short version of his adventures brings to life for a wider audience the story of how Western Australia began, and the story of the man who started it all.