Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Alexander Harris
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Born:
Feb. 7, 1805, London
Died:
Feb. 1, 1874, Copetown, Ont., Can. (aged 68)
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Alexander Harris

British author
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Alexander Harris (born Feb. 7, 1805, London—died Feb. 1, 1874, Copetown, Ont., Can.) was an English author whose Settlers and Convicts; or, Recollections of Sixteen Years’ Labour in the Australian Backwoods (1847) is an outstanding fictional account of life in Australia.

Harris was well educated by his clergyman father in London, and at age 21 he shipped out for Australia. He soon headed for the back country and for some time lived a very strenuous life, working up to 18 hours a day at various jobs. By 1842 his health began to deteriorate, and he returned to England. In later years he worked as a missionary and schoolteacher in Canada.

Settlers and Convicts is a fictionalized autobiography; Harris’ detailed, unbiased observations and ability to characterize pioneer life with striking realism made the book a historical classic. His real autobiography, written in 1858, was published in 1961 under the title The Secrets of Alexander Harris.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.