Blue China

Blue China is an award-winning examination of the emigration of single working-class British women to the Australian colonies in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

This form of emigration was voluntary and extensive-with the number of female emigrants outnumbering convicts almost four to one-yet stigmatised, as distinguished historian Jan Gothard reveals in this meticulously researched work. Combining analysis of the changing policy landscape and differing practices across colonies, and the women’s own stories, this important book shines a light on women’s experiences that have been lost in the wider colonial narrative.

First published in 2001, Blue China won the WA Premier’s Book Award for Non-Fiction in 2001.