Publisher's Synopsis
""King Billy of Ballarat"" is a historical fiction novel written by Morley Roberts. The story is set in the gold rush era of Australia in the mid-19th century and follows the life of King Billy, an indigenous Australian who becomes a prominent figure in the Ballarat community. The novel explores themes of racial discrimination, cultural clashes, and the struggle for identity and recognition. King Billy, also known as William Barak, was a real-life figure who fought for the rights of his people and became a leader of the Wurundjeri tribe. The novel portrays his journey from a young boy growing up in the bush to a respected elder who fights for the rights of his people against the oppression of the white settlers. The story is told through the eyes of a fictional character named Jack, a white settler who befriends King Billy and becomes his ally in the struggle for justice. Jack's perspective provides a unique insight into the cultural clashes and power struggles of the time. Overall, ""King Billy of Ballarat"" is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that sheds light on an important period in Australian history and the struggle for indigenous rights.The mind of King Billy was not a big mind; it would no more have taken in an abstract idea than his gunyah would have accommodated a grand piano. He was as simple as sunlight, and to resolve his intellect into seven colours would want the most ingenious spectroscope. But he could make an inference from a positive fact, and, having made it, he did not allow more remote deductions to trouble his legitimate conclusion.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
