Best of
Australia

2010

A Waltz for Matilda


Jackie French - 2010
    But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. ′You′ll never catch me alive, said he...′Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl's journey towards independence. It is also the story of others who had no vote and very little but their dreams. Drawing on the well-known poem by A.B. Paterson and from events rooted in actual history, this is the untold story behind Australia′s early years as an emerging nation.

The Happiest Refugee


Anh Do - 2010
    His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates, nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in the country they had dreamed about. Life in Australia was hard, an endless succession of back-breaking work, crowded rooms, ruthless landlords and make-do everything. But there was a loving extended family, and always friends and play and something to laugh about for Anh, his brother Khoa and their sister Tram. Things got harder when their father left home when Anh was only nine - they felt his loss very deeply and their mother struggled to support the family on her own. His mother's sacrifice was an inspiration to Anh and he worked hard during his teenage years to help her make ends meet, also managing to graduate high school and then university. Another inspiration was the comedian Anh met when he was about to sign on for a 60-hour a week corporate job. Anh asked how many hours he worked. 'Four,' the answer came back, and that was it. He was going to be a comedian! The Happiest Refugee tells the incredible, uplifting and inspiring life story of one of our favourite personalities. Tragedy, humour, heartache and unswerving determination - a big life with big dreams. Anh's story will move and amuse all who read it. - Happiest Refugee: My Journey From Tragedy To Comedy By Anh Do (Paperback)

Wildflower Hill


Kimberley Freeman - 2010
    Forced to take her life in a new direction when an injury ends her ballet career, Emma returns to her home in Australia and learns that she has inherited an isolated sheep station from a late grandmother who would impart key lessons about love and motherhood.

How to Make Gravy


Paul Kelly - 2010
    Over four nights Paul Kelly performed, in alphabetical order, one hundred of his songs from the previous three decades. In between songs he told stories about them, and from those little tales grew How to Make Gravy, a memoir like no other. Each of its hundred chapters, also in alphabetical order by song title, consists of lyrics followed by a story, the nature of the latter taking its cue from the former. Some pieces are confessional, some tell Kelly's personal and family history, some take you on a road tour with the band, some form an idiosyncratic history of popular music, some are like small essays, some stand as a kind of how-to of the songwriter's art – from the point of inspiration to writing, honing, collaborating, performing, recording and reworking.Paul Kelly is a born storyteller. Give him two verses with a chorus or 550 pages, but he won't waste a word. How to Make Gravy is a long volume that's as tight as a three-piece band. There isn't a topic this man can't turn his pen to – contemporary music and the people who play it, football, cricket, literature, opera, social issues, love, loss, poetry, the land and the history of Australia … there are even quizzes. The writing is insightful, funny, honest, compassionate, intelligent, playful, erudite, warm, thought-provoking. Paul Kelly is a star with zero pretensions, an everyman who is also a renaissance man. He thinks and loves and travels and reads widely, and his musical memoir is destined to become a classic – it doesn't have a bum note on it.

Licence to Dream


Anna Jacobs - 2010
    At school she discovers a talent and love for art, but her mother forces her to become an accountant. She’s good at that too, but her heart just isn’t in it. When she wins some money, her lifelong dream suddenly becomes possible, and she quits her job to buy a house in Australia where she can combine her love of the outdoors with her work as an artist.In Australia, Ben has dreams, too, but they’ve been on hold in the years since his wife’s death. Very different characters, each with their own goals, circumstances force Meriel and Ben to share a house and the attraction between them becomes impossible to deny.There are many obstacles to overcome, but if Ben and Meriel work together they might just find a way to save and unite their dreams… A heart warming story of love, family and adventure perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy

Blue Skies


Fleur McDonald - 2010
    Armed with a degree in Agribusiness, Amanda Greenfield dreams of employing all the skills she's learned in college to help her father turn the family farm from a debt-ridden, run-down basket case into a thriving enterprise. Then tragedy strikes with the death of Amanda's mother in a car accident. Wracked by grief and guilt, and wearied by the long struggle to keep Kyleena a going concern, Amanda's father argues that they should sell up and get on with their lives away from the vagaries of drought and fluctuating stock and crop yields. Having inherited half the farm from her beloved mother, whom she also grieves for, Amanda determines to summon all her strength, grit, and know how to save Kyleena. Along the way she faces mixed fortunes in both love and life.

Into the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania's Forests


Anna Krien - 2010
    At stake is the future of old-growth forests. Loggers and police face off with protesters deep in the forest, while savage political games are played in the courts and parliaments. In Into the Woods, Anna Krien, armed with a notebook, a sleeping bag and a rusty sedan, ventures behind the battlelines to see what it is like to risk everything for a cause. She speaks to ferals and premiers, sawmillers and whistle-blowers. She investigates personalities and convictions, methods and motives. This is a book about a company that wanted its way and the resistance that eventually forced it to change. Into the Woods is intimate, intrepid reporting by a fearless new voice.

Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew


Mike Carlton - 2010
    This book tells their story.

Wings of Fear


Helene Young - 2010
    When Customs Agent Rafe Daniels joins her crew, she is immediately suspicious. Why is he boarding her plane when she isn’t there? And why is he asking so many questions?What Morgan doesn’t know is that Rafe has her under surveillance. Critical information about their Border Watch operations is being leaked and she is the main suspect, but when Morgan and Rafe are shot down in a tragic midair attack, they realise they have to start working together – and quickly. One of Australia’s most loved icons is the next target and they have only nine days to stop it.Will they uncover details of the plot in time, or will the tension that is growing between them jeopardise everything?

Blood on my hands: A surgeon at war


Craig Jurisevic - 2010
    It is hardly to be credited that the enlightened nations of Europe are allowing this nightmare to occur only sixty minutes by jet from Paris and London. The forces of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic have swept into Kosovo on the Balkan Peninsula leaving a trail of death and heartbreak. Scenes of Milosevic’s ‘ethnic cleansing’ play out on television screens all over the world; haunted figures huddled behind barbed wire fences, bodies heaped in ditches.Adelaide surgeon Craig Jurisevic recalls his grandfather’s ordeal in a Nazi concentration camp and resolves to honour his memory by offering his skills as a surgeon to the victims of the conflict. Leaving behind a wife and son, Jurisevic flies to the Balkans under the auspices of the International Medical Corps. Struggling to maintain his moral bearings, Jurisevic’s journey from Adelaide to the hell of Kosovo has become a descent into the heart of darkness. Blood on My Hands, co-written with award-winning author Robert Hillman, tells a story of terrible suffering, of extraordinary heroism, and of the savagery that lies coiled in the human heart.

The Gruen Transfer


Jon Casimir - 2010
    It surrounds and submerges us. Industry rule of thumb says we are exposed to 3000 commercial messages a day. THE GRUEN TRANSFER lifts the lid on the persuasion business, examining how advertising works and how it works on us. Fuelled by brilliant minds, cutting edge science, technological weaponry and a budget of $500 billion a year, advertising seeks to influence our purchases. Which leads to the question: when we reach for the detergent in the supermarket aisle, can we really be sure our thoughts are our own?

The World's Richest Busboy


J.J. Brito - 2010
    Brito takes an exciting ride of freedom in this fun, cleverly written and inspiring account of youthful discovery. Starting at age seventeen, J.J. saves his modest tips from delivering pizzas and bussing tables so he could travel to find the perfect waves he once doodled on his high school notebooks. Stretching every dollar to its limit, he lives out of a station wagon in South Africa, island hops through Indonesia, hitches across Australia, sails the Caribbean, and rides an old motorcycle (rigged with surfboard racks) from California to Costa Rica. Throughout his travels he endures tricky border crossings, a desert sandstorm, punishing surf, and being thrown into a Central American jail. However, the perks of paradise are never far away, J.J. finds himself gliding through a glass-like tunnel inside an emerald green wave in Nicaragua, sharing an incredible session with thousands of dolphins churning the waters in the Indian Ocean, and being welcomed into the homes of people on every corner of the earth. Through his diverse experiences he learns about the overwhelming beauty of nature, the generosity of the human spirit, and the unpredictability of life on the road. Along the way he realizes he is indeed "The World's Richest Busboy."

The Job: Fighting Crime From the Frontline


Charlie Bezzina - 2010
    The Job is an explosive and intriguing account of what it takes to be a criminal investigator at the highest level.

Love Poems


Dorothy Porter - 2010
    This book collects her most powerful love poetry: portraits of longing and infatuation, of bliss, passion, uncertainty and devotion. It includes extracts from her award-winning and best-selling verse novels, as well as poems and lyrics spanning her whole career.

The Bark Cutters


Nicole Alexander - 2010
    Past and prsent interweave in a story that traces the Gordon family from the arrival of Scottish immigrant Hamish Gordon in the 1850s to the life of his great-granddaughter Sarah.

The Hard Light of Day: An Artist's Story of Friendships in Arrernte Country


Rod Moss - 2010
    Keeping a journal during the next three decades, he chronicled his experiences as he taught, struggled to paint, raised his children, and immersed himself completely in the Arrernte lifestyle. Filled with evocative photographs and paintings, this rare insight into the reality of life there illustrates the endemic violence, alcoholism, and rampant ill health as well as the enriching and transformative power of Arrernte friendships and culture.

Kidman The Forgotten King


Jill Bowen - 2010
    He went on to become the greatest pastoral landholder in modern history, acquiring a legendary reputation both at home and abroad as the Cattle King. Kidman was much more than a grazier. In addition to his many successful business ventures and his contributions to the war effort, he was driven by a grand plan for the remote arid areas of Australia. This kept him locked in a battle with the land - and against drought. Wealth, power, fame and honours did not change Sidney Kidman. He remained the homespun, gregarious bushman for whom men worked with an almost savage loyalty. Greatly admired, he also had many enemies, and in his later years was dogged by controversies and untruths. This book explores the fascinating Kidman legend, and gives a balanced, thoroughly entertaining account of this larger-than-life Australian and his exceptional achievements. 'An addictive read, embracing the romance of the bush and the hardship of the outback.' SUNDAY TIMES

Chinese Whisperings: The Yin & Yang Book


Paul AndersonAnnie Evett - 2010
    At 7.35am Pangaean Airlines, one of Europe’s major carriers, is put into receivership grounding all flights, stranding thousands of passengers and impounding tonnes of luggage. But all is not as appears on the surface and the sliding-doors moment of one woman deciding to retrieve her suitcase will ricochet through the lives around her.This is the combined book which includes The Yin Book (ISBN 978-0-9807446-4-4) and The Yang Book (ISBN 978-0-9807446-6-8).

The Great Barrier Reef


James Woodford - 2010
    Nor is it simply the crystal clear water, cocktails and beautiful bodies of the tourist ads. It is not just the stage for murders, mishaps, shipwrecks, shark attacks, crocodile death rolls or groupers that swallow men's heads whole and only sometimes spit them back out.The real Great Barrier Reef is a living thing – a 2600-kilometre-long, untamed organism, made up of trillions of animals. It is the magnificent and terrifying home to the wild things of nightmares and hallucinations.James Woodford wanted to understand the real reef in all its complexities and along its entire, extraordinary length. For a year he worked and dived with marine biologists, exploring it from the coral outpost of Lord Howe Island in the south to the crocodile haunted waters at the reef's northern boundary in Cape York. The Great Barrier Reef is a thrilling study of the Reef – of its beauty, mystery and terror as it faces its greatest threat, rising sea temperatures that stem from global warming. Part science, part history, part travel and wholly adventurous, Woodford's book is as captivating, grand and magical as the Reef itself.

A Once Courageous Heart


Kylie Johnson - 2010
    This is a beautifully crafted and designed book, which is both inspiring and uplifting.

Murderer No More: Andrew Mallard and the Epic Fight that Proved His Innocence


Colleen Egan - 2010
    Fairly quickly, police suspicion fell on a young, psychologically fragile drifter named Andrew Mallard; he was ultimately charged and convicted of this murder. It took 13 years for this injustice to unravel. Here is it's tale.

Chinese Whisperings: The Yin Book


Paul AndersonLily Mulholland - 2010
    At 7.35am Pangaean Airlines, one of Europe’s major carriers, is put into receivership grounding all flights, stranding thousands of passengers and impounding tonnes of luggage. But all is not as appears on the surface and the sliding-doors moment of one woman deciding to abandon her suitcase will ricochet through the lives around her.This is the 'mate' anthology to The Yang Book (ISBN 978-0-9807446-6-8)

The Australian Book of Atheism


Warren Bonett - 2010
    With a historical overview of Australian atheism, this compilation canvasses a range of opinions on religion and secularism in tones variably comedic, sincere, enlightened, and journalistic. Discussing topics ranging from politics and fundamentalism to euthanasia and abortion, this book is a diverse and entertaining collection of thoughts on a world without God.

Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War


Michael Molkentin - 2010
    A pressure of a thumb, a short burst, a puff of smoke, a flash of flame, a hole on the clouds—and it was over."  —Lieutenant Robert McKenzie, No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying CorpsWhen World War I began in August 1914, airplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school and corps. From a first class of four student pilots the Australian Flying Corps would grow to number almost 4000 by the armistice. Its young volunteers were pioneers in a completely new dimension of warfare as they struggled for control of the skies over the Western Front and Middle East. Using private letters, diaries, and official records, historian Michael Molkentin reveals, for the first time in more than 90 years, the remarkable story of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps. It is a tale of heroism and endurance; of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches in aircraft of timber and fabric—no radios, parachutes, or oxygen . Fire in the Sky takes readers up into this chaotic tumult and into the midst of a war from which only one in two Australian airmen emerged unscathed.

After Romulus


Raimond Gaita - 2010
    He writes about Hora, who was an inspiration to him throughout his life, about the making of the acclaimed film starring Eric Bana, about ideas of truth, the limits of character, and the conflict between love and morality. And, most movingly, about his mother Christine and his longing for her. Raimond Gaita was born in Germany in 1946. He is Emeritus Professor of moral philosophy at Kings College London and a Professorial fellow at the Melbourne Law School and the faculty of Arts of the University of Melbourne. His books include: Good and Evil: An Absolute Conception; Romulus, My Father; A Common Humanity; The Philosopher’s Dog; Essays on Muslims and Multiculturalism (as editor and contributor); and After Romulus. A feature film of Romulus, My Father was released in 2007, and won the AFI award for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Young Actor. textpublishing.com.au 'Gaita is a brave, decent and emotionally intelligent man...we need more like him.' Stephen Romei, Australian 'Somehow, what was true of Romulus, of the light his goodness cast upon the world a light that made it possible for his son Raimond to survive childhood without bitterness, to love without shame or condescension his sick mother who had abandoned him this light binds together and gleams out of the book as well. There are moments you can find them, captured in passing, in After Romulus when the light settles for a second and you can see it at work.' Maria Tumarkin, Weekend Australian 'In After Romulus Raimond Gaita invites us into the far reaches of his considerable mind and the deep places of his soul. This will be felt as a privilege by most readers, as it should. And it is, as it turns out, not just a sequel, but an extension of all that was good in his initial story. It is a book to stretch the mind and enlarge the heart.' Canberra Times 'It is impossible not to be moved by this achingly raw remembrance and grateful for the stunning candour of its author.' Sunday Age 'This extraordinary book set me reflecting upon my own residency in the world - my own decency, condescension, loves and truths.' Weekend Herald (NZ) 'This is the kind of writing that is so brave it makes you flinch, so profound it makes you examine yourself, and so moving it makes you see life afresh. I was entranced as usual by Rai Gaita's limpid style, and his signature combination of philosophical intellect and warm heart.' Anna Funder '[The essay] "An Unassuageable Longing" explains Christine and makes her real: she is finally chronicled with love and rigour, as was Romulus...In a book full of extraordinary revelations, this chapter will stay long in the reader's memory.' Age 'Raimond Gaita's After Romulus is an eloquent meditation on love, friendship, philosophy and loss. Gaita's tragic loss of his mother at an early age reminds us of Emily Dickinson's "The craving is upon the child like a claw it cannot remove". The reader is compelled to admiration by this brave book.' Alex Miller, Sydney Morning Herald's best books of 2011 'There are times when the reader is right there beside Gaita, delighting in the stinging descriptions of his childhood at Frogmore and sympathising with the heartache that confronted him so early in life.

Bottersnikes and Other Lost Things: A Celebration of Australian Illustrated Children's Books


Juliet O'Conor - 2010
    Exploring everything from schooldays to fantasy worlds, this beautifully illustrated handbook shares the stories of Sir Pronoun and Miss Noun; of Bottersnikes and Gumbles; and of Jack, his house, his hut, and his shack. Including some of Australia’s best known writers and illustrators, such as Pamela Allen, Gary Crew, Mem Fox, May Gibbs, Bob Graham, Libby Hathorn, Patricia Mullins, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Gregory Rogers, and Shaun Tan, this remarkable reference includes top-10 lists and breakout boxes, encouraging new ways of seeing the Australian child’s literary history.

Strands of Gold


Helen Spring - 2010
    A lonely struggle against the cruelty and degradation of her position follows, but Lucy's decision to escape has a doubly tragic outcome, the accidental death of her father and the shooting of her husband.Lucy's struggle is mirrored by another, the efforts of Danny, a small disabled boy, to drag himself from poverty by sheer endurance and application. He plays his own small part in the events surrounding Lucy's escape, and these have a direct bearing on Danny's future. Wanted for the murder of her husband, Lucy's escape in the sailing ketch 'Selangor Lady' is only the beginning of a perilous journey through the Indonesian islands and the treacherous Timor Sea, in search of a new life in Australia. But her new identity, hard won in the harsh climate and remote surroundings, is threatened by discovery when once more she is confronted by a bully, and this time she will not acquiesce. Once more Lucy is escaping, this time on a journey which combines a quest, to trace the location of a vague map, the one clue to a gold strike made twenty five years before, somewhere in the barren wastes north of Kalgoorlie... But Lucy finds her true gold in friendship, in the unforgettable stoicism of Matthew, the uncle who gives up everything when she needs him, Jarvis, who gives his life, and Greg, who is transformed from frog prince to gold prospector, and tempts her with peaches... This is the story of a well bred young English girl flung by circumstance into the privations and hardship of life in Australia in the early 1900's. Her courage is tested to its limits, and with the help and loyalty the struggle to attain her full potential comes the realisation that this can only be achieved with of friends, the true 'Strands of Gold' of the title.

My Sister Chaos


Lara Fergus - 2010
    While the cartographer is obsessed with keeping the world in order---her sister's unexpected visit is equated with a sign of chaos---her sister has a firm grip on the real world and, perhaps, a greater sense of order. Presented within a world of obsession and trauma, this narrative explores whether anyone is immune to the forces of destruction.

Ninja Tune: 20 Years of Beats & Pieces


Stevie Chick - 2010
    Celebrating their twentieth anniversary in 2010, the label was established by two friends who wanted a new label for their venture Coldcut. Matt Black and Jonathan More conceived a label that was unfettered by restraints upon its artists’ work, offering a vibrant and diverse array of inspired minds a broad canvas upon which to paint their masterpieces.The label’s discography encompasses a wide range of contemporary music; The Cinematic Orchestra; Roots Manuva; Mr Scruff; Steinski; Amon; Kid Koala; The Herbaliser- and these are just some of the classics. The label also hosts the likes of Daedelus, Thunderheist and Cougar amongst many other outfits who are currently touring the independent music scene. The book tells the story of the record label, the artists themselves, their art and the ways in which their influence was and is felt in the larger culture. It’s a tale that begins with Black & More touring Japan with Coldcut 20 years ago, and tiring of how the staid, uncomprehending music industry was manipulating the group.The book traces the development of Ninja Tune’s offshoot labels, Ntone (who gave us releases by Hexstatic, Cabbageboy and Neotropic); Hip-Hop imprint Big Dada (home to Roots Manuva, Spank Rock, Ty, Diplo and Infinite Livez); and Counter Records (Pop Levi, The Deathset, The Heavy). The book tells the story of the growth of the label, including setting up a satellite office in Canada, where Ninja Tune’s music developed such a loyal following that every Ninja artist’s show there is attended by one uber-fan who turns up in a foam costume, passing himself off as a Ninja Robot Sentinel.An important element to the label is the design of the covers and branding of the company. Ninja Tune’s logo is a woodcut originally designed by cult New York artist Michael Bartalos and label art honcho Mark Porter, later reimagined by recording and graphic artist Strictly Kev, it shows a stylized ninja brandishing vinyl records. The book displays this discography in a visual way, and is lavishly illustrated with historic photography, the book includes exclusive interviews with the label’s artists and the minds who shaped the roster. It’s the story of a tiny label surviving and thriving while the majors run aground, the story of a unique vision and an all-embracing approach, championing the creativity of their artists at all costs. Ninja Tune appeal stretches far beyond Ninja Tune’s already-established legion of followers: making this a must-read for any music fan with even a passing interest in adventurous music, and the triumph of ideas, passion and guerrilla creativity in the face of a factory-tooled mainstream.

Chinese Whisperings: The Yang Book


Jodi CleghornPaul Servini - 2010
    At 7.35am Pangaean Airlines, one of Europe’s major carriers, is put into receivership grounding all flights, stranding thousands of passengers and impounding tonnes of luggage. But all is not as appears on the surface and the sliding-doors moment of one woman deciding to retrieve her suitcase will ricochet through the lives around her.This is the 'mate' anthology to The Yin Book (ISBN 978-0-9807446-4-4)

Guantanamo: My Journey


David Hicks - 2010
    But events would set him on a different path. He would be deemed a terrorist, one of George W Bush's 'worst of the worst'. He would be incarcerated in the world's most notorious prison, Guantanamo Bay. And in that place where, according to an interrogator in Abu Ghraib, 'even dogs won't live', he was to languish for five and a half years, suffering horror, torture and abuse, while Australians were told who he was - by politicians, the media and foreign governments.Everyone had an opinion on him.But only he knows the truth.And now, for the first time, David Hicks tells his story.

Discover Australia (Lonely Planet Discover)


Lindsay BrownPenny Watson - 2010
    Experience the best of Australia. Make the most of your trip abroad Lonely Planets full color Discover guides highlight the best a country has to offer while still providing an authentic and memorable experience. Discover Australia Travel Guide features include: Full Color Throughout - images and maps makes planning as inspiring as the journey itself Color-coded navigation Easy-To-Use Structure - Easy-to-use tools include: color-coded chapters and thumb tabs, dynamic color spreads on major highlights Easy-to-read planning sections throughout Highlights - Special front-of-book chapter on the top 25 cant-miss experiences Features the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiences Focuses on key cities and regions Itineraries - Country-wide itineraries take you step by step through the country broken out by interest, theme and length of trip Region-specific itineraries help you plan more deeply for the regions you are most interested in Local Experts - Major attractions include insights from local experts on what not to miss Dimensions: 8"L x 5"W x 1"H Weight: 1 lb.

Seven Sisters: Messages from Aboriginal Australia


Laine Cunningham - 2010
    In this collection of essays, readers discover that love and friendship, parenting, life and the afterlife can be addressed with the unchanging wisdom of the human heart.According to Australia's ancient cultures, all creatures and things emerged from the Dreamtime. The Dreaming is not just a collection of lore or a long-ago time; it is a living energy that flows constantly through the universe. It is then and now, divine and human, spirit and law. Because the energy is as vibrant today as ever, these ancient stories show us how to survive in a harsh world and how to thrive in our souls.Each Aboriginal story in this collection is enhanced with an essay from award-winning author Laine Cunningham. Our modern perspectives on love and friendship, illness and joy, life and the afterlife can be enriched with this ancient knowledge. Open this book and take your own journey through the eternal Dreamtime. Along the way, you will discover that the ancient connection to god/goddess/the divine still resonates in your soul. You will discover your own truth.These award-winning self-help essays are delivered with a custom artwork black and white interior. This new release has been enhanced with additional content on the Australia Laine has come to love. Also comes in a full-color edition with custom artwork. Both make great gifts!

Creating an Australian Garden


Angus Stewart - 2010
    Creating an Australian Garden not only passes on the knowledge gained from Angus's extensive experience as a plant breeder-it empowers us all to unlock the secrets of cleverly designed Australian gardens that provide year-round color, vibrant foliage, and havens for wildlife. Creating an Australian Garden contains practical tips on planning a garden from scratch, adapting an existing garden, using water-saving methods, creating mounds and raised beds to ensure the drainage many Australian plants require, growing native plants in containers, choosing the best plants for your environment, easy-to-follow basics of soil preparation, and 450 of the best Australian plant varieties, including many that are newly released. Find out how to choose the ideal plants for your climate, or create a microclimate to accommodate the spectacular native plants you'd like to grow. See how versatile native plants can be, becoming part of any garden style you envisage for your backyard. Most importantly, learn everything you need to know, from planning to planting, to allow you to create a stunning native garden, wherever you live.

The Coast Watchers


Patrick Lindsay - 2010
    

The Butterflies of Australia


Albert Orr - 2010
    A complete guide to Australian butterflies, beautifully illustrated in typical habitats as we see them in everyday life, accompanied by their earlier life stages.

Macquarie: From Colony to Country


Harry Dillon - 2010
    These were crucial years during which the fate of the colony was in the balance after years of struggle, famine, and strife culminating in a military coup against Governor William Bligh. Under Macquarie's leadership, civil rule and good order were firmly established in the colony, the population grew steadily, the settlement of Australia's vast interior began, and the foundations for the great wool industry were laid. Macquarie carried out an ambitious program of public works that resulted in better roads and other infrastructure, a string of new townships around Sydney, and an array of fine buildings, a number of which still stand today as the most important visual symbols of Australia's colonial heritage. This book is a timely reminder of Macquarie's importance to modern Australians. Macquarie tells this story as narrative history, a fascinating tale of the genesis of a nation and of an extraordinary individual who refused to be confounded by the odds stacked against him. The emphasis is on telling a story about people, their motives, goals, foibles, successes, and disappointments. It is, after all, a great story that is well worth the telling.

Drawn from the Heart: A Memoir


Ron Brooks - 2010
    He became an acknowledged master of the picture-book form, winning acclaim both nationally and internationally for classics such as The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek and John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner—both in print continuously for more than 30 years—and Old Pig and the multi-award-winning Fox by Margaret Wild. Yet success never came easy. In this searching memoir he recreates his life as an artist, husband, and father, with all its twists and turns, pain and joy. Along the way he offers rare insights into the "secret" process of picturemaking and story shaping. Illustrated with roughs and finished art from his best-loved books, this story of a life lived intensely in search of truth, love, and beauty is a classic in its own right.

My Name Is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey


Ross Fitzgerald - 2010
    Beginning with his first drink at the age of 14, this unique account traces the author’s relationship with alcohol, taking readers on a journey from substance abuse and despair to hope and courage. Both heart-wrenching and enlightening, this chronicle is a strong personal story of triumph over substance abuse that will grip readers from the start.

Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears


Angela Challis - 2010
    With classic stories from Australia's masters of horror alongside the best of the new era, Macabre is set to be the finest dark fiction anthology ever produced in Australia.Featuring:ClassicsBarbara BayntonGuy BoothbyA. Bertram ChandlerMarcus ClarkeE. DownsErnest FavencMary FortuneWolfe Herscholt John Lang Henry Lawson H. B. Marriott-Watson Vol Molesworth Hume Nisbet David Unaipon Modern MastersStephen Dedman Terry Dowling Leanne Frahm Robert Hood Rick Kennett Russell Kaaron Warren Sean Williams The New EraNathan BurrageMatthew ChrulewShane Jiraiya Cummings Will ElliottB. FarrBob FranklinPaul HainesRichard HarlandStephen M. IrwinGary KembleTim KroenertMartin LivingsKirstyn McDermottAndrew J. McKiernanKyla WardSusan WardleDavid Witteveen & David Conyers

Dingoes


Lyn Sirota - 2010
    Simple maps show where each animal lives its remarkable life.

Medicinal Plants in Australia: Volume 1: Bush Pharmacy


Cheryll Williams - 2010
    Author Cheryll Williams previously published a series of articles on medicinal plants in Australian Wellbeing magazine and is currently working with Wildlife Rescue in the tropical rainforest. Chapters include: Plants of the Pioneers: First Impressions and Improvisations * Herbal Inspiration: Remedies from the Bush * Sarsaparilla and Sassafras: Old Remedies in a New Colony * Xanthorrhoea: Grass-Tree Medicine * Floral Emissaries * Bush Beverages * Bush Tucker Bugs * A Sweet Surprise: Medicinal and Toxic Honeys * Uniquely Australian: Flowers, Flavors, and Fragrance * Sandalwood: The Aromatic Export * The Famous Australian Gum-tree.

Kangaroo: Portrait of an Extraordinary Marsupial


Stephen Jackson - 2010
    The authors also investigate the animal's natural history—their unique reproduction methods, intriguing behaviour, varied diet, and trademark hopping ability; and examines humans' sustained fascination with kangaroos—spanning 40,000 years—that allows these engaging marsupials to be instantly recognized.

Singing Saltwater Country: Journey to the Songlines of Carpentaria


John Bradley - 2010
    There began a journey over three decades which has taken him into the heart of the Dreaming of the Yanyuwa people. Slowly and patiently, the Yanyuwa elders educated young John Bradley in the songs of their ancestors. Sung with fierce passion and pride, they are the stories of relationships between humans, animals, plants, and the land that extend beyond anything in western culture. They are the wellspring and source of power, ancestry, authority, and continuity that are embedded in what is known as "Law" and "country" in Aboriginal culture. Written in collaboration with Yanyuwa elders, Singing Saltwater Country reveals the sacred knowledge of the songlines at a time when Yanyuwa culture is under enormous threat. It is also a time when westerners need to become familiar with Indigenous understandings of country if we are all to survive in the fragile ecosystems of this land.

Combat Medic - An Eyewitness Account of the Kibeho Massacre


Terry Pickard - 2010
    Terry Pickard, a seasoned soldier and medic, was one of a 32-strong force of Australian UN peacekeepers in Kibeho on that terrible Saturday. While the United Nations' presence prevented the death toll from being even worse than it was, the massacre continues to haunt him. The rules of engagement that stopped him from intervening in the senseless slaughter and the life and death decisions he was forced to make when dealing with the injured condemned him to more than a decade of recurring nightmares and debilitating flashbacks. The horror and unimaginable tragedy of the Kibeho Massacre still looms large in the lives of Rwandans and the people sent to help the African country. No one who walked away from that day was ever the same again. Combat Medic is a personal account of one Australian soldier who found himself at the centre of events that shocked the world, and the personal toll that he paid. Terry Pickard's army career spanned nearly 20 years. More than 15 years after Rwanda he continues to struggle with post traumatic stress triggered by his experiences. In 2005 those who served in Rwanda and the UN peacekeeping mission were informed that their service had been upgraded to "warlike''. Very few of them had ever doubted it.

The Railway Dog: The True Story of an Australian Outback Dog


Olwyn M. Parker - 2010
    

Ocean Hearted


Graham Nunn - 2010
    Nunn writes with a photographic eye and painter’s sensibility – an elegant woman with “fingernails like jewel-bits of shattered windshield” (‘Gutter & Edge’), nightfall with its “soft desperation of moths” (‘Heyford Street’), a partner with “the piano’s worn ivory/ asleep in the tips/ of your fingers” (‘Music Lessons’). This is writing that embraces both the immediate and the remembered, the domestic emergencies of modern life, poems that leap “from the shade of the moment”.-Kevin Gillam

Red Kangaroo: The World's Largest Marsupial


Natalie Lunis - 2010
    It can stand up to 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and weigh up to 205 pounds (93 kg), which makes it the world's largest marsupial. Despite the fact that it grows to such a big size, a newborn red kangaroo is tiny. The joey is about one inch (2.5 cm) long, or the size of a grape. It's hard to believe that such a little baby will grow up to be a king-sized kangaroo! In Red Kangaroo: The Worlds Largest Marsupial, large color photos and grade-appropriate text will engage young readers as they learn about the natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, life cycle, and behavior of this super-sized kangaroo. A comparison diagram is also included to show readers the animal in relation to a familiar object.

To Hell And Back


Susanna de Vries - 2010
    On his return to Australia he detailed what he saw in his book� The Straits Impregnable. Hoping to avoid military censorship� his publishers dubbed Sydney's book a novel. But as the war ground on and the numbers of casualties grew� the publisher inserted a note saying the story was factual. The book� which had enjoyed huge literary acclaim� was immediately withdrawn from sale by the censors.Sydney Loch's experiences in the war shaped his life afterwards. With his wife� Joice� he went on to work in refugee camps in Poland and Palestine� and his many subsequent books� set in war-torn countries� reflected his humanitarian beliefs. In To Hell and Back� historians Susanna and Jake de Vries have recovered and edited Sydney's book for a new generation of readers and written a biography of his remarkable life.

Being Abigail (Abigail #1)


Kathryn White - 2010
    This is it. I am going to kill myself ... After a suicide attempt which comes complete with an online suicide note goes hilariously awry Abigail Carter PhD candidate and owner of a gorgeous little kitten named Cedric finds herself blogging about her everyday life; phone calls from the future mother-in-law from hell, visiting a murderous aunt in prison, being stalked by her ex-boyfriend turned cop and the reappearance of Chastity MacKenzie, the girl responsible for her expulsion from boarding school many years before. And when Chastity makes a play for Samuel, Abigail's fiance of five years, Abigail realises that it is going to take a lot more than keeping a blog to sort this mess out... Dark and occasionally laugh out loud funny, Being Abigail features a truly unforgettable heroine and a reminder that sometimes the best things in life happen when you're on your way somewhere else.

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Preparing Australian Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for the Future


Chris Stokes - 2010
    The core content of the book is based on a recent science review prepared for the National Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries.Feedback from the review is included in the book, plus extra content to cover climate change scenarios, socio-economic considerations and greenhouse gas emissions along with summary information and frequently asked questions. Chapters for each primary industry review the implications of climate change, assess realistic adaptation options, and highlight potential options for the longer-term. Case studies for each industry are included along with summary tables of adoption options.Features- Communicates up-to-date, scientifically robust information on climate change- Specifically for primary industries- Provides pathways to solutions rather than just defining the problem of climate change- Includes case studies for each industry- Presents a framework on which policy makers can start planning and preparing for climate change

Up the Creek Without a Mullet: A Hair-Brained Journey Across the Globe


Simon Varwell - 2010
    From Albanian slums to the windswept landscapes of Ireland's County Mayo, the mission took him across the world in search of obscure locations – eventually creating an inadvertent media storm when the mullet hunting hit the big time Down Under in Australia. Up The Creek Without a Mullet was originally published in 2010 by Sandstone Press. In 2015, the book was proudly re-issued by the author.

Legends of Australian Fantasy


Jack DannD.M. Cornish - 2010
    These are the legends of Australian fantasy - eleven of Australia's best-loved and most widely read writers ... Gathered together by equally legendary editors Jack Dann and Jonathan Strahan to produce an entirely original compilation ...Celebrate the legends of Australian fantasy. Extraordinary voices ... extraordinary worlds. Come to Erith, to a faerie tale with a sting, or to Obernewtyn, long before the Seeker was born. Revisit a dark pocket of history for the Magician's Guild or get caught up in the confusion of an endlessly repeating day in the Citadel. Cross the wall, where Charter magic is all that lies between you and death. A trip with a graverobber can be gruesome, and it's hard to share the fear of a woman who must kill her husband if her child is to rule ... A mysterious tale plays out in Sevenwaters. Catch up with Ros and Adi as they prepare for the greatest change of all. Other twists in these fabulous tales bring us to demonic destiny and an alternate WWII. these eleven short novels will take you on amazing new journeys with favourite characters from the worlds you know and love ...

Australian Politics for Dummies


Nick Economou - 2010
    Master the ins and outs of elections, parties and policies, and learn to discuss the big issues in no time. You have to vote -- now learn whyand how.Decipher political terminology -- clear explanations of the houses of parliament, voting systems and moreLearn how Australia's political system evolved -- how Westminster and Washington were combined to produce 'Washminster'Appreciate parliamentary roles -- what the Whips do and just what the Usher of the Black Rod isFind out who holds the purse strings -- how federal and state governments work out who pays for whatUnderstand how political parties work -- the differences between Labor and Liberal, and what coalition politics isDiscover what's meant by the balance of power -- how minor parties and independents contribute to politicsDetermine how your vote is counted -- the difference between preferential voting and proportional representationWork out the media's role -- how the media reports, interprets and sways political outcomesOpen the book and find:Key points about past and current political hot topicsExplanations of the Australian Constitution, including the crisis of 1975Plans of the houses of parliament so you know who sits whereAnalysis of how the major Australian political parties came aboutA concise description of the electoral pendulumGraphic descriptions of the different ballot papersA comprehensive glossary of political terms and jargonLearn to:Identify what makes the Australianpolitical system tickDistinguish between the differentpolitical partiesUnderstand the influence of the media in Australian politicsCast your vote with confidence

Why I Love Australia


Bronwyn Bancroft - 2010
    . . Cloaks of white that drape the rocky crags of snowy mountains . . . Learning the desert sky by the warmth of an open fire. In this magnificent celebration of country, Bronwyn Bancroft uses both images and words to explore the beauty of the Australian continent and to express the depth of her feelings about it. It is a superb and unique showcase of reverence for landscape—from the coast and the outback to the cities and plains, from dramatic gorges to rugged alpine peaks, and from barren deserts to lush rainforests, Australia is undoubtedly a place of unrivaled beauty that is captured perfectly in Bancroft's book.

The Artist and the Scientists: Bringing Prehistory to Life


Patricia Vickers-Rich - 2010
    Over more than thirty years, Patricia, Tom and Peter have travelled across Eastern Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australia and New Zealand in search of the remains of early life, including fish, dinosaurs, birds and mammals. Their successful expeditions, and the many publications and exquisite artworks that have ensued, are a testament to their scientific methodology, thirst for knowledge and eye for detail. The book follows the development of selected works of art covering the last 600 million years of the geological record. Told from the viewpoints of both scientist and artist, the reader is given a unique insight into the process of preserving and recording the evolution of prehistoric life.

Singing the Coast


Margaret Somerville - 2010
    By taking up the metaphor of singing to capture a quality of voice, this remarkable record examines the particular qualities inherent in the coastal group’s songs and considers their universal sense of knowledge, understanding, and openness. This revelatory compilation is an indispensable read for those interested in understanding more about Aboriginal culture and engaging with the landscape.

Hell's Only Half Full


Kerry Clarke - 2010
    

First Australians: An Illustrated History


Marcia Langton - 2010
    Told from the perspective of the country's first people, this reference vividly brings to life the events that unfolded when the world's oldest living culture was overrun by its greatest empire. Seven of Australia's leading historians outline the true stories of individuals caught in an epic drama of friendship, revenge, loss, and victory in the continent's most transformative period. Beginning in 1788 in Warrane—now known as Sydney—with the friendship between an Englishman, Governor Phillip, and the kidnapped warrior Bennelong, this record ends in 1993 with Koiki Mabo's legal challenge to the foundation of Australia.

Unknown Nation: Remaking Australia in the Wake of Empire


James Curran - 2010
    Revealing how everything from currency to the national flag became subject to scrutiny, this reference also tells how Australia's methods of celebrating its past achievements became a source of public controversy and political hand-wringing, forcing leaders to find the appropriate rhetoric to invoke the coming nation. Underscoring the continent's new set of post-imperial markers and how they placed the conduct of foreign relations onto a new but unsure footing, this examination illustrates how Australians--contrary to received wisdom--had neither sought nor particularly welcomed this challenge yet it has exercised their political and creative energies for decades. The origins, influence, and implications of this dilemma are explored in detail, making this survey crucial to addressing the problems of community, identity, and collective purpose in Australian society.

Australia


Colleen Sexton - 2010
    This title will also take readers to the Great Barrier Reef and to some of the largest cities in Australia, showing kids the daily life and culture of Aussies.

Goodbye To All That? On the Failure of Neo-Liberalism and the Urgency of Change


Robert Manne - 2010
    It looks past neoliberalism and economic rationalism and asks what kind of social democracy we might hope for in the future. Are the heady days of deregulation and privatisation over? If so, where to from here? Goodbye to All That? explain...

Power in Coalition


Amanda Tattersall - 2010
    Amanda Tattersall--an organizer and labor scholar--addresses this gap in the first internationally comparative study of coalitions between unions and community organizations. She argues that coalition success must be measured by two criteria: whether campaigns produce social change and whether they sustain organizational strength over time. The book contributes new, practical frameworks and insights that will help guide union and community organizers across the globe. The book throws down the gauntlet to industrial relations scholars and labor organizers, making a compelling case for unions to build coalitions that wield power with community organizations.Tattersall presents three detailed case studies: the public education coalition in Sydney, the Ontario Health Coalition in Toronto, and the living wage campaign run by the Grassroots Collaborative in Chicago. Together they enable Tattersall to explore when and how coalition unionism is the best and most appropriate strategy for social change, organizational development, and union renewal. Power in Coalition presents clear lessons. She suggests that less is more, because it is often easier to build stronger coalitions with fewer organizations making decisions and sharing resources. The role of the individual, she finds, is traditionally underestimated, even though a coalition's success depends on a leader's ability to broker relationships between organizations while developing the campaign's strategy. The crafting of goals that combine organizational interest and the public interest and take into account electoral politics are crucial elements of coalition success.

Friday on Our Minds: Popular Culture in Australia Since 1945


Michelle Arrow - 2010
    In order to understand the massive social and cultural changes that have taken place Down Under, popular culture is examined through three main lenses: consumerism and the development of a mass consumer society, the impact of technological change, and the ways in which popular culture contributes to and articulates individual and collective identities. Providing the first integrated account of Australian post-war culture, this reference analyzes film, television, sports, music, and leisure in relation to each other rather than as stand-alone cultural forms.

Jasper Abby: And the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle


Kevin Rudd - 2010
    There was going to be a party. A big party. Abby the dog was there. Jasper the cat was there. But so was a scruffy little dog. The Prime Minister receives many letters and emails from children asking about Jasper and Abby, and he often tells his friends, colleagues, and staff stories of the antics of his family pets. Having heard these stories, Rhys Muldoon—who has been friends with Kevin Rudd for many years—encouraged the Prime Minister to write a children's book. Proceeds from this book go to The Center for Community Child Health, at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

Key Concepts in Corporate Social Responsibility


Suzanne Benn - 2010
    With detailed coverage and cross-referencing for each concept and over 50 concepts introduced, this guide to both the theory and implementation of CSR and sustainability, provides an indispensable reference for any student of the subject.

Sydney Harbour


Ian Hoskins - 2010
    Revealing why Sydney Harbor has been a defining element for the people who have lived around it since the time of the harbor clans, this volume examines the icon as a means of communication; a barrier; a resource to be exploited; and a place of beauty, spirit, and meaning. By chronicling the story of the waterway from the time of the first aboriginal communities and detailing contemporary debates about the future of the working harbor, this comprehensive account outlines the important interactions between the glittering harbor and the people who inhabited and shaped it.

Children of the Sun


David Crookes - 2010
    Then came the Dutch and the Portuguese. But Terra Australia eludes them all.Tumara and Naomi are the Children of the Sun, the last of a tribe of South Sea Islanders, forced to flee their idyllic island home by European encroachment into the Pacific. They are the only two people alive who know where Terra Australis lies and they seek sanctuary there, hoping to start a new life.But their hopes are shattered when they are separated and enslaved by Mendaña and Drake and taken to Spain and England. Eventually their love and determination reunites them and they return to the South pacific only to find themselves caught in the crossfire of a desperate power struggle by European nations for supremacy in the region and a renewed search for Terra Australis.