"The Land of Dreams: How Australians Won Their Freedom, 1788-1860 tells the story of how Australians became a free people, gaining the liberties they desired to take control of their own lives, the right to govern themselves and the capacity to address their own political problems through democratic institutions" -- inside front cover.

Contents:
1. The liberal project -- 2. Ideas of the foundation -- 3. Convicts and freedom -- 4. The liberal colonial reform project -- 5. Liberty and patriots -- 6. Chartists and free traders -- 7. Elections and the land -- 8. To share in the general freedom -- 9. Radical reform agendas: Marx and Mill -- 10. The Anti-Transportation League -- 11. Independence within the empire -- 12. Libertarian liberalism -- 13. A Whig constituency -- 14. Radical democracy.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 462-478) and index.