http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/47335681

Voyage of the Courtesans

"In the spring of 1789, a ship left port in London bound for the Botany Bay penal colony in Australia. The ship carried precious cargo - women, sent to keep the desperate male colonists from engaging in what their governor called 'gross irregularities.' But these women were hardly quiet homemakers - they were a hardy raucous lot rounded up from London's notorious Newgate prison and other jails around the country, and they did not submit quietly to their forced voyage and the rough life they knew was ahead. Once aboard the Lady Juliana, these destitute convicts -- thieves, prostitutes and con artists -- turned their banishment into opportunity, setting up a business before they arrived in Botany Bay. As they traveled from port to port en route to Australia, many offered themselves to sailors from other ships. With liquor flowing and bodices bursting, they took control of their destinies, and eventually arrived in Australia, healthy and ready to take on the new world. Voyage of the Courtesans brings to light the true story of the voyage of Lady Juliana. The film will delve into the history with the help of these ladies modern-day descendents. The audience will follow as these women uncover their pasts, unearthing the truth about their spirited ancestors, and comparing themselves to the women of the Lady Juliana, who managed to play the tough cards they were dealt into an unexpected winning hand"--Cover.

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