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Red Sand Green Heart explains how the unique wildlife and vegetation of the Australian outback have been shaped by the harsh climate of this vast, infertile land.
In recent years indigenous groups have been joined by pastoralists, conservationists, miners, tourists and military, communications and transport users as key stakeholders in the outback.
From taipan snakes and pelicans to hippie activists and hardline miners, John Read brings to life the characters, creatures and cultures of the outback. Through vivid, personal stories he shares his experiences as an ecologist making new discoveries; challenging conventional approaches to pastoralism, mining, tourism and environmental management; and witnessing the precarious balance of nature as species are pitted against the harsh climate of the outback.
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Oil; uranium; geology; conservation; these are the catch-cries of our times and Reg Sprigg embodies them all. Rock Star tells the life of this intrepid, determined and oft-times irreverent pioneering Australian renowned as one of our nation’s greatest geologists.
By the time he was 50 Reg had driven the first vehicle across the Simpson Desert and crossed the continent from north, south, east and west. He had also launched Arkaroola Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Australia’s first eco-tourism resorts.
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The South Australian Railway Narrow Gauge Journal series is being produced to record as much as possible about the 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge railway lines of South Australia including Commomwealth and private railways. Very little now remains of these isolated systems but thanks to Historians, enthusiasts and preservationist they will not be forgotten.
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As the seed of the coolabah is scattered, blown away on the searing summer wind or washed away by the floods of autumn to take root and grow far from the parent free, so the Yandruwandha and Yawarrawarrka people have been scattered across the face of Australia, far from their country of origin. Theirs was a tenure measured in thousands of years
-it took only a century to virtually end it.
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‘Don Loffler’s first book, She’s a Beauty!, was published in 1998, marking 50 years since Prime Minister Ben Chifley launched the original Holden 48-215 (‘FX’) with this famous exclamation. Six successive volumes on early Holdens followed. All Don’s books showcase a special way of telling the human stories behind the cars and in 2021 the marvellous Cars We Used to Drive joined his collection. She’s a Beauty! has been revised twice before (2006 and 2009) but this time is to be published in two volumes. Don, a natural and fluent social historian, shows how the Holden drove its way into Australian culture, changing the nation forever in the process.
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Casuarinanceae is one of many tree families that occur in Australia. Others may be well known and have been utilised more. So why a story about this family we affectionately call Sheoaks, Bull Oaks, Riveroaks and other common names?
Casuarinaceae evoke many stories and memories for Australians. This family of trees consists of some of the great hardwoods on earth. It is a timber that wood enthusiasts use for its unique patterns. It is a tree with many myths; a tree that early Australian foresters gave little credence to its potential, yet other countries embraced this tree which is now planted worldwide.
Casuarinas have a tolerance for wind and salt water. They have been a popular choice for arresting and stabilising sand drifts and erosion in many coastal and desert habits.
DID YOU KNOW
That the Sheoak tree is and has been a sacred tree for its many uses and beliefs in Australian Aboriginal Mythology and Culture.
The Casuarina tree was the first tree to be botanically sketched from the Australian Coast 1699
Sheoak tree seeds collected from Australia’s East Coast by Banks and Solander were the first trees grown in England from Australia,
Casuarina timber from Australia was the first timber taken from Australia to be used to make furniture in England. 1790
The first large ship built in Sydney Cove, Australia, was from Casuarina timber. 1799
Casuarina timber, used as firewood, was voted the best in the world, according to the Academy of Sciences 1995.
Species of Casuarina is considered to be the hardest timber on earth of those timbers tested to date according to the Janka Scale 2015.
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Shoot Me First is a gripping personal account of life in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The author offers intriguing insights into the culture of the tribal territories that straddle the two countries. This is home to the Taliban, an untamed land which continues to absorb so much of the world’s attention and military endeavour. Lock is shrewd and laconic but above all compassionate. His experience of the world’s two major religions deserves careful consideration.
Supporting micro-hydroelectric systems, empowering Afghan widows and overseeing a massive eye-care program, Grant and Janna Lock’s development work in Afghanistan and Pakistan followed their notable success as cattle breeders in South Australia.
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Reinhold (Jack) Schuster was an illegal German immigrant. A trained soldier in the German Armeekorps, he sat out both world wars in the Australian outback of Broken Hill. Jack’s story debunks the myth that salutes the mining town as the birthplace of solidarity – by exposing divisiveness, prejudice and powerlessness.
The only enemy attack to take place on Australian soil during World War I occurred in Broken Hill, and Jack was there to witness the mob violence that followed. He watched unionists stone the troop trains heading off to war and learned of brutality against his countrymen in the Torrens Island internment camp.
Christine Ellis’s grandfather came to life through stories told by her mother – some of which defied belief. Christine’s research confirmed them. Silver Lies, Golden Truths is Jack Schuster’s story. It tells of the love between a father and his young daughter, of idyllic family times, and the cruel cost of working in the mines.
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South Australia’s mining heritage not only traces the story of mining and its people, but also interprets mining sites, and demonstrates the importance of the mining industry to South Australia’s cultural and economic development.
In a series of articles-originally presented as papers at a seminar on mining heritage-together with photographs and diagrams, South Australia’s mining heritage forms an informative kaleidoscope. Mining sites, machinery, communities, conservation, families and individuals are included; and read as a whole or as separate articles, this adaptable and absorbing book is an invaluable reference for those with an interest in South Australia’s history.
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The story of the Nullabor Nymph, a blind marsupial mole, murders, an eccentric professor, a little-known explorer, and whether an ostrich riding bushranger ever terrorised the Coorong are just a few of the topics included in this collection of South Australian short stories.
Numerous contemporary and historical photographs and complement the text.
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A star finder (also known as a planisphere) is a circular map with an overlay that turns to show – through an opening in the overlay – the region of the sky that is visible for a specified time, date and location. It is an incredibly useful tool for orienting yourself in the night sky, for identifying constellations, and for planning your stargazing night.
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Len Beadell accepted the challenge of building roads and undertook an enormous survey programme in order to prepare a test launching area in one of the most isolated parts of the world which came known as the Woomera Rocket Range. This is an excellent read and includes hilarious stories of true Australian bush characters.
Soft-cover
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Peter John Stone (Stoney) Born on 16 February 1944 in Brighton South Australia, experienced periods of family turmoil during his early school days along with falling victim to the dreaded Polio Disease when eight years old. These two life checks could have contributed to his rebellious attitude towards suburban schooling ending in poor results. Leaving…
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Fully updated and with completely reworked text and images, this is the Fourth Edition of the acclaimed The Mammals of Australia.
Strahan’s Mammals of Australia is the best book available on the subject, being the most definitive, comprehensive and up-to-date. It provides a written account of every species of native mammal known to have existed in Australia since European settlement, with 403 species covered in total. It is beautifully illustrated with more than 1,500 colour photographs, while each species account includes a detailed description of the animal and its behaviour. Species covered range from marsupials, monotremes and rodents through to bats, seals and whales.
The new edition sees the addition of 14 newly described species and includes all the latest taxonomic treatments and many changes to names (common and scientific) and other features that have been accepted in the 14 years that have passed since the publication of the Third Edition.
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1844 – A motley party under Charles Sturt sets out to penetrate Australia’s mysterious Centre. The hour is desperate: South Australia is sliding into bankruptcy and the colonials look to Sturt as the “Father of Australian Exploration” to find rich lands to rescue the economy. The massive, unwieldy expedition plods up the Murray, dragging along…
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