Author Portia Robinson, in her book The Women of Botany Bay, describes the rapid transformation of the colony: “Visitors, free settlers, officials, soldiers, the convicts themselves who arrived in New South Wales in the latter years of the Macquarie decade [1810 - 21], expecting to find the debauchery, inebriety and licentiousness believed in Britain to be characteristic of the colony, were astounded at its ‘ civilisation ’.
झुग्गी - झोपड़ियों के बजाय उन्होंने देखा कि यहाँ तो ऐसी हवेलियाँ हैं ‘ जो लंदन के हैनोअर स्क्वैयर की शोभा बढ़ातीं...