Captain James Stirling Character Analysis in Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence

The captain on a ship full of English settlers who arrived in Western Australia in the late 1820s. In his greed to possess as much Australian land as he could, Stirling did not account for the idea that others might have their eyes on the land as well. When his ship approached the mouth of the Swan River, he saw Captain Charles Fremantle’s ship had already arrived. Anxious to make port as quickly as possible, Stirling ran his ship onto the rocks. Once ashore, he discovered that his rival Fremantle had gone ashore and taken formal possession of one million square miles of land already, and had named it the Swan River Colony.

Captain James Stirling Character Timeline in Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence

The timeline below shows where the character Captain James Stirling appears in Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...been told they would be. Another man comforts his wife, assuring her that their captain, Captain Stirling , must have made a simple miscalculation. (full context)

Pilkington describes a silent war between two captains— James Stirling and Charles Fremantle—who were both vying for the same swath of Nyungar land as they... (full context)

The settlers who arrived with Captain Stirling had their pick of Aboriginal land. The wealthiest and most influential were able to select... (full context)