Australian History

You’ve probably heard that famous 'Well may we say' speech made by Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam on the day he was sacked by the queen’s representative, or seen the grainy footage from the steps of old parliament house. But do you properly understand the extraordinary events leading up to the most dramatic day in Australian political history? How did The Dismissal actually happen? This audio series takes you inside the highest circles of power to uncover pieces of this story that have never been told before.

One day while sitting around the dinner table with his family, Victor Briggs’s Uncle Tim told him that on a visit to Hawaii, he had met an Indigenous Hawaiian Elder who told him a story. A long time ago, Indigenous Australian seafarers had sailed to Hawaii on the trade winds. When they got there, they had helped the Hawaiians with skills, information and technology. Hawaiian people were so impressed with Aboriginal people that they let them stay on their islands when they were travelling throughout the Pacific Regions.

Australia claims about 42 percent of the land mass of Antarctica Continent - largely based on the exploration voyages led by Sir Douglas Mawson in the first half of this century. Yet by 1953 we had no permanent bases on the Antarctic continent. Australians in Antarctica reviews Australia's postwar push south, with the establishment of permanent stations on the sub-Antarctic islands of Heard and Masquarie in 1948, and the first settlement on the Antarctic mainland - Mawson Station - achieved by 1954.

The harrowing story of the Allied airmen who experienced the true horrors of Nazism firsthand. It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they...

Secrets, lies, lawyers and covert recordings. If you thought the 2019 election was just about a death tax that didn't exist, you're in for a surprise. From the dark arts of the dirt units to the role of billionaire Clive Palmer, this is the untold story of an election debacle. The Labor Party...

Read by the author A concise account of the whole biblical narrative and what it means—as well as the beliefs and lifestyle it inspires—for those observing Christianity from the outside, especially those who think there are good reasons not to believe. A Doubter's Guide to the Bible charts a...

"THIS WEEK'S HOTTEST NEW RELEASES: Murder befouls the outback... [A] gripping work of true crime." —USA TODAY Return to Uluru explores a cold case that strikes at the heart of white supremacy—the death of an Aboriginal man in 1934; the iconic life of a white, "outback" police officer...

Australia's contributions in the Pacific War are often forgotten in history lessons today. However, Australia faced the bombing of its cities and invasions of nearby islands much like the rest of the world, and stood up to fight as needed. They placed a central role from 1942 to 1943 in the New Guinea Campaign and defended Japanese forces invading Port Moseby. Japanese forces then invaded the Australian mainland, trying to cut supply lines, but were fought back by valiant forces. Take to the ground and skies during this mix of intense land and air battles.

The stories and verses in this collection are not just anecdotes, racing history pieces, or rehashed feature articles from sports journalists; first and foremost they are good literature. The common thread running through the wonderful Australian short stories featured in this volume is the real Aussie character and passion for life that racing seems to bring out in our culture. There are tales of childhood dreams, great achievements, victory in adversity and also tales of tragedy and heartbreak. There are stories of crazy schemes and hilarious events that could only happen on an Australian racetrack.

Great Australian Aviation Stories is a collection of dramatic true stories and colourful accounts of our fascinating aviation history. These stories also show the "human" side of aviation...how it changed the lives of ordinary people, workers, and travellers. Included are amazing stories of history-making flights by Kingsford Smith and Ross and Keith Smith, and accounts of the exploits of Bert Hinkler, Amy Johnson, Nancy Bird, and our early outback aviation pioneers.

The story of a man who chose to reinvent himself instead of playing victim. Number one in its series, this newly released adventure book comes with the best romance and suspense a true story can ever give. Sick of being treated like a foreigner in his home country Madagascar, Black Candy decided to migrate to Australia with his family, in the quest of freedom and a fair go.

In a landmark essay, Stan Grant writes indigenous people back into the economic and multicultural history of Australia. This is the fascinating story of how fringe dwellers fought not just to survive but to prosper. Their legacy is the extraordinary flowering of indigenous success - cultural, sporting, intellectual and social - that we see today. Yet this flourishing coexists with the boys of Don Dale and the many others like them who live in the shadows of the nation.

In these frustrating days of diesel and electric trains it is hard to remember the smell of coal smoke, the hiss of steam, and the sting of cinders flying into your eyes. With his passion for the olden days and his famous ear for a good yarn, Bill ‘Swampy’ Marsh has brought together another enthralling collection of funny, dramatic and hilarious stories from drivers and gangers, firemen and guards, their families and everyone in between.

WINNER OF THE KARAJIA AWARDS FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 2024 SHORTLISTED IN THE 2025 NSW LITERARY AWARDS PATRICIA WRIGHTSON PRIZE This is the story of Dujuan Hoosan, a 10-year-old Arrernte and Garawa boy. A wise, funny, cheeky boy. A healer. Out bush, his healing power (Ngangkere) is calm and...