Steam-Powered but Wood-Fired: Coal and Renewable Energy in Colonial Economies

The mid-nineteenth century was a pivotal time when the overconsumption of Earth’s resources accelerated dramatically. Increased burning of fossil fuels since that period has played a critical role in triggering planetary climate shifts that are now all too evident. At the same time, historical and environmental circumstances apparent at more local scales disrupt clear connections between fossil fuels and global expansion. In this chapter, data from colonial Victoria demonstrates that timber, not coal, was the primary source of fuel until well into the twentieth century. This alternative story of extraction highlights the importance of understanding the complexity and diversity of how resource exploitation is experienced in different times and places.