Thread: Australian History Books - who's read what ?

Originally Posted by Bearman

You wont get much better reading about early Australian history than reading some of Ion Idriess books. They cover from early 1900 to about 1950 when he roamed around Australia and experienced some of our pioneering past including a stint in Palestine during WW1 in the Australian Light Horse. You will find that you cant put it down once you start reading it. They are nearly always advertised on Ebay - have a look. Great reading!

A book by Ion Idress and the engineer of the Harbour Bridge ............... Bradfield (cant remember his first names) about redirecting all the rivers that run into the Gulf of Carpentaria back inland through the Cooper and Diamantina down into Lake Eyre and all the other salt lakes in SA creating an Inland Sea, fascinating Ideas and reading, cant think of the name of the book, but Google will know, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

A book by Ion Idress and the engineer of the Harbour Bridge ............... Bradfield (cant remember his first names) about redirecting all the rivers that run into the Gulf of Carpentaria back inland through the Cooper and Diamantina down into Lake Eyre and all the other salt lakes in SA creating an Inland Sea, fascinating Ideas and reading, cant think of the name of the book, but Google will know, Regards Frank.

Great Boomerang Scheme or something like that from (distant) memory.

Read it while I was in primary school I think
John

I know this suggestion is not really in line with the thread but one of the best books I have is read is

'A Bastard of a Place' by Peter BRUNE .... It is about WWII in Papua and covers Kokoda, Milne Bay, Gona, Buna and Sanananda ... great read

also

'Gallipoli' by Les CARLYON ... fantastic Australian history even though not about our shores .....

Cheers


Hucksta

C.J. Bean. The official history of the Great War, Vols. I to XI. If you can find a Volume XII, the photographic record, let me know. Also the great collection of WWII books like Soldiering On, Khaki and Green, HMAS, These Eagles.

Thanks longreach,
Interesting that you say that, I'm just finishing reading an OLD book I picked up in a second hand book store called "End of A Beginning" by Margaret Ford (the book has in the front cover in pen : " To Dear Lillie, With love and best wishes from Holly, Birthday 1963" It also has a Pic of a Landrover on the front (the reason for buying it !).
This book is also covers a Rev Colin Ford traveling Australia and particularly Cape York in a Series Landrover ! The other interesting point is inside the back cover is an ad for "john Flynn, Apostle to the Inland!" And I was wondering if it would be worth tracking down !! LOL

Cheers
Jeremy

Originally Posted by longreach

For me the history of Australia has to include Rev john Flynn,to me one of the greats of Australia,he did more for the Australian people that any other Australian
His story started in the outback of south australia,helping the people of the outback,starting the inland missions,school of the air ,the royal flying doctor service etc,what a great man he was,lets not forget him,when we talk of the history of our country........he traveled the outback in a old REO car........not a 4x4,traveling down dry river beds,to meet people in far flung station.....the best book,to read of his life is called Flynn of the inland

Originally Posted by Hucksta

I know this suggestion is not really in line with the thread but one of the best books I have is read is

'A Bastard of a Place' by Peter BRUNE .... It is about WWII in Papua and covers Kokoda, Milne Bay, Gona, Buna and Sanananda ... great read
...

Cheers


Hucksta

Ha, Ive got that on loan from the library- half way thru -it a big read tho. Now I want to see "beyond Kokoda" which was a docco released thru pay TV last Sept.

Its about Australian as you can get, just because its "Modern" history doesnt make it out of this topic.

for factual life history any of the following are a good start

by Geoffrey Blainey:
Black Kettle & Full Moon: Daily Life in a Vanished Australia (Penguin 2004) and
Jumping Over the Wheel (Allen & Unwin 1993)

by Patsy Adam Smith : Hear the Train Blow (can't find my copy to list details ATM)

by Jill Kerr Conway:
Road to Coorain (Random House, 1990)

by Andy Macqueen
Barrallier , the Life and Journeys of, (self published)

by Chris Cunningham
The Blue Mountains Rediscovered (Kangaroo Press 1996)

by Michelle Grattan
Back on the Wool Track (Vintage Books 2004)

and for you would-be desert travellers.....

by David Carnegie, Spinifex and Sand
(if you get an original it’ll cost $quillions)


these are a selection of the many books I enjoy and I hope it helps - Laurie

"Taming the North", Hudson Fysh, Angus & Robertson, 2nd edn Sydney, 1950, (enlarged from 1933 edn).

Foreword by John Flynn. History of Alexander Kennedy and the settlement of Northwest Queensland. Written by the founder of Qantas in 1931-2 when he realised that the pioneers of the area where he was introducing aviation were dying and someone ought to get down their story before they all died.

John