The Flag's Up by Peter Poland In the early days of the colony, ships from Russia, France, America and Spain anchored alongside British convict vessels in Sydney’s renowned harbour. Many famous figures sailed through the heads, such as Bligh, Bennelong, Flinders and Macquarie. The South Head Lookout Post which recorded these arrivals and departures has been manned since January 1790,…
The scale of the human tragedy there, especially with so many children killed, was almost beyond belief. – ABC’s Papua New Guinea correspondent Sean Dorney In the years before the Boxing Day Tsunami wrought havoc across the Indian ocean, and Fukushima was demolished by enormous waves, Australia was alerted to these dangers by a disaster closer to home. (more…)
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ERNEST SCOTT HISTORY PRIZE Over a century before the Mabo case recognised Native Title and rejected the doctrine of Terra Nullius, Aboriginal land rights were briefly acknowledged in two Australian colonies. Paved with Good Intentions, reveals the many strong declarations in favour of Aboriginal land rights in early Colonial times, and shows how this language was twisted…
In 200 years the Botanic Garden that began as a plain garden staffed by a gang of convicts commanded by a soldier with “some gardening experience” has become one of the best and most famous in the world, housing an impressive open air, living collection. This book shows how this incredible transformation came about, detailing the historical foundations and dedicated…
A History of the Manning Valley This area lies about 300km north of Sydney, where the earliest European settlers first arrived in the late 1820s. The Manning River runs through this rugged, isolated terrain, and this was to become the region's main highway throughout the 19th Century. It is a valley with a rich history, a hidden gem with a…
