Includes a biographical index. Frederick William Mackie (1812-1893), Quaker, with his companion Robert Lindsey (1801-1863) was one of those members for the Society of Friends (Quakers), said to be on a "travelling under concern" with the object of encouraging and instructing fellow-Quakers in foreign lands. They left England in July 1852 in the barque "Wellington", and arrived in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land in November 1852. Between July 1852 and March 1855, the pair visited Van Diemens Land, New Zealand, New South Wales, Melbourne and the Victorian goldfields, South Australia and Western Australia.

An enthusiastic naturalist and talented artist, Mackie embellished his writings with many delightful and historically important pen drawings. Forty of these sketches are reproduced to illustrate the text.