ABSTRACT
Juxtaposed with the tragic experiences of the Aboriginal prisoners exiled to Rottnest Island is the island’s role as the governor’s summer retreat. Governor Fitzgerald first proposed creating a summer residence there in 1848, but it was not officially built until 1864. This chapter will focus on Frederick Napier Broome, governor of Western Australia from 1883 to 1889, and his wife, Lady Mary Anne Barker (later Lady Broome), who were regular visitors to the governor’s residence. This chapter will situate Rottnest Island in its broader British imperial context by exploring Lady Barker’s detailed accounts of her time on the island and her observations of the Aboriginal prisoners. This chapter will reflect on her writings in light of her earlier experiences of island life in different imperial outposts such as Jamaica and Mauritius just after abolition and give consideration to how these shaped her expectations of Aboriginal people in Western Australia.
