• New book Uprising by a Charles Sturt University history academic will be launched in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 10 April and Bathurst on Thursday 17 April

A new book by a Charles Sturt University history academic will be launched in Wagga Wagga and Bathurst in April.

The book is Uprising - War in the colony of New South Wales, 1838–1844 by Adjunct Lecturer in the Charles Sturt Centre for Law and Justice Dr Stephen Gapps (pictured above, right).

Dr Gapps said Uprising tells the story of the Second Wiradjuri War of Resistance (1838-1844), which was part of a series of conflicts across a huge area of the Murray-Darling river system and numerous First Nations’ lands, in defence of River Country.

“The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance around Bathurst ended in 1824 with a series of massacres conducted by settlers in the region,” Dr Gapps said.

“From the 1830s colonists began occupying more and more Aboriginal land across western New South Wales and stocking it with sheep and cattle.

“By 1838, a dramatic fightback began across the entire frontier of the colony, and what has been called the Second Wiradjuri War of Resistance, from 1839 to 1841, which was part of a vast arc of conflict from present-day northern Victoria through to southeast Queensland.

“At the time, it was seen by many contemporaries as a concerted and coordinated ‘uprising’.”

Following the launch conversation, audience members will be invited to participate in a Q&A session. Book sales and signing, and light refreshments will also be available.

Dr Gapps’ work is a significant contribution to truth-telling in Australian history and Uprising can be ordered here.

The Wagga Wagga event at 5pm to 7.30pm on Thursday 10 April is presented by the Museum of the Riverina at the Botanic Gardens site, 127 Lord Baden Powell Drive, Turvey Park, Wagga Wagga, in partnership with the Wagga Wagga City Library.

The Bathurst event is from 6pm on Thursday 17 April at Bathurst Regional Library at 70-78 Keppel Street Bathurst. Bookings are essential; please phone the library on 6333 6281 to secure a seat.

Dr Gapps is an historian and curator, a member of the Professional Historians Association (NSW and ACT), and President of the History Council of NSW. He is the award-winning author of The Sydney Wars and Gudyarra.

Note: Wiradyuri with a ‘y’ is commonly used in the Bathurst area, and Wiradjuri with a ‘j’ is used more broadly.