The Book of Australia

Product Information

Here, we share 25 Australian novels that have made their mark in the past 25 years. From those that have broken sales records, courted controversy and challenged the status quo, to quiet achievers that have slipped off our reading lists, each of these novels are worthy of a place on our bookshelves. One of the most popular books about Australia’s history, Pascoe wanted to give his readers a better idea of what this great southern land was like before and after Europeans invaded the country.

With a mix of historical tidbits, cultural insights, and Bryson’s own humorous misadventures, “In a Sunburned Country” is a charming and engaging exploration of the land Down Under.Deng Adut was a child soldier and refugee from South Sudan. He came to Australia as a refugee, learnt English, and graduated from Western Sydney University. He is now working as a lawyer in Western Sydney and also spends time helping Syrian refugees. His story is truly inspirational and a reminder of where compassion and hope can take us. House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years) In a Sunburnt Country / Down Under by Bill Bryson is all about the author learning more about the country. He makes interesting parallels and humorous jokes throughout the book. He often talks about how he loves Australia but hates the “killer creatures” that live there!

This one of the best-known and most-loved coming-of-age stories in the country. 17-year old third-generation Italian Josie Alibrandi is juggling her culture, family life and the racial differences at her snobby private girl’s school, with quite simply, being a teenager in 90’s Sydney.

People and Society

My Brilliant Career” by Miles Franklin is a classic Australian novel that follows the life and aspirations of the spirited young protagonist, Sybylla Melvyn. Set in rural New South Wales during the late 19th century, the novel provides a glimpse into the challenges and limitations faced by a young woman with aspirations beyond the traditional roles prescribed by society. Bryson is one of my favourite writers, and this book is probably my favourite of his. A warm, funny, and wonderful look at my home country from an outsider’s perspective. This epic Miles Franklin-winning novel follows two very different stories: Laura, a restless tourist who travels around the world before returning to Sydney to work for a travel-guide publisher; and Ravi, who flees to Australia on a tourist visa after his wife and son are murdered in Sri Lanka. Their individual struggles are used to explore much bigger themes of dislocation, cultural difference, exile, tourism and travel. HIKE IT! See www.grampianspeakstrail.com.au for trail information. Foodies should book a night at Dunkeld’s Royal Mail Hotel.

Highlights include “The Basin”, a family- friendly seawater pool, and the 20m Wadjemup Lighthouse on the island’s highpoint. Wadjemup is a Noongar word meaning “place across the water where the spirits are” – rather apt, given at least 373 unmarked graves hold the victims of a harsh and cruel prison for Aboriginal people operating during the 1800s. 19. Catch the Manly Ferry across one of the world’s greatest harbours The White Girl introduces us to Odette Brown and her granddaughter Sissy, who live in the fictional country town of Deane.After all, we’re living in a country whose First Nations people were not supposed to survive, let alone flourish.