The Ferrar Diaries: William Moore Ferrar and his Books

William Moore Ferrar was born in Dublin in 1823. He emigrated in 1841 and settled at Plassy, on the outskirts of Ross, in the Tasmanian midlands, where he farmed and in addition was author to a number of published and unpublished literary works. Recently, his descendants made available his diaries and farm journals, commencing in 1840 with his youth and departure from Ireland, through to 1897. These, though incomplete in span, record his life and farming practices in Tasmania, books he owned or read, often including his reactions, and some of his original poetry and prose writing. This article examines the books he owned, borrowed or read, but also reveals fresh evidence surrounding his published works.