Books
Five great books about Australia
If you’re heading to Australia, you’re probably going to want a good book to read on the plane. I’ve picked out five about the country that I’ve found a great read. More importantly, they will also immeasurably increase your appreciation of the bizarre continent you’re heading to. All five are highly recommended.
The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes
If you read just one book about Australia’s history, make it this one. Hughes’ research is outstanding, passion for the subject clear and turns of phrase just beautiful. To say the Fatal Shore tells the story of early Australia and the convict system isn’t quite right – it tells thousands of individual stories and weaves them together as an imperious whole.
The DIG Tree by Sarah Murgatroyd
Murgatroyd tells the extraordinary tale of the Burke and Wills expedition, which attempted to become the first to cross Australia from south to north. It’s a tragic-comic tale that swings between farce, heroism, jaw-dropping incompetence and bravery in the most hostile conditions. It needs to be made into a movie, and I can guarantee you’ll want to head into the Australian outback after reading it.
Mr Stuart’s Track by John Bailey
The first man to actually cross the country from south to north was John McDouall Stuart. A grumpy, often drunken Scot, his methodical, Spartan approach saw his men survive and succeed against all the odds. Bailey’s biographical account of Stuart’s expeditions doesn’t move as much as The DIG Tree does, although you can’t help but be wowed by Stuart’s incredible achievements.
The Company by Arabella Edge
A fictionalised account of a true story that even Australians don’t tend to know about, The Company stretches back 1629 when a Dutch ship ran aground on Western Australia’s Houtman-Abrolhos islands. It turns into a Lord of the Flies-esque tale of mutiny, mass murder and madness. It’s lip-smackingly dark, and told with real relish.
The Dog Fence by James Woodford
The Dog Fence runs for 3,500 miles across remote parts of Australia, keeping wild dingoes away from sheep stations. James Woodford followed it, meeting the lonely rangers who keep it maintained, the farmers who live alongside it, and the stricken emus for which it means death.
