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AUSTRALIAN TIME LINE OF LIVING BOOKS
Books that can be used a a frame or spine:
Australasia’s Story – HE Marshall (online here )
Our Sunburnt Country – Arthur Baillie (revised, updated ebook can be found here )
A Short History of Australia – Ernest Scott (also one by Manning Clarke)
History of Australia – Clarke, Hooper (Scholastic)
Seeing Australians – K Adams
The Australia Book – Eve Pownall
Australia, The Wide brown Land For Me –Adnil Press
Australian History Pictures and Narratives – Janette
BOOKS THAT COVER A LARGE TIME SPAN
Australian Explorers (AE) Cassell Australian
Australian Aviators (AA)
Too Many Captain Cooks – Alan Tucker
Examines ‘the history of black/white relations across the
continent’, from the arrival of the first explorers to the
present day. The thought-provoking illustrations could provide the
stimulus for discussion and debates on relationship between white and
indigenous Australia.
Discovering Australia’s Christian Heritage – Col Stringer
Australians In History Series -currently OOP
The Golden Dream By Nancy Keesing
Jackey Jackey By Margaret Paice
Margaret Catchpole By Nance Donkin
Matthew Flinders : Explorer And Scientist illustrated By Victor Hatcher.
River Rivals By Ian Mudie
The Golden Dream Nancy Keesing
The Singing Wire Eve Pownall the above 3 are in the Australians in History series
Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson – British book
To Ride a Fine Horse and others by Mary Durack
Treasure from the Earth by Donald McLean
Riders to an Unknown Sea by George Farwell
Trail Blazers of the Air by Kylie Tennant.
By Gravel and Gum by Nancy Keesing
ABORIGINES
Brown Men, Red Sand – Charles P Mountford
Ballander Boy – Colin Thiele
The Way of the Whirlwind – Mary and Elizabethby Durack
A great book for a realistic look into aboriginal life. The story
centres around Nungaree and Jungaree and their little baby brother, so
aboriginal life is seen through the eyes of children……..for
children.
A Little Black Princess – Aeneas Gunn
Aranda Boy – Rex Ingamells
My Place – Sally Morgan (older children) abridged version available.
Walkabout – ? (book and video)
Bushtucker Food –(picture book)
DISCOVERY
1616 Hartgog
1629 “Batvia” ASS – Voyage of Disaster
1642 Tasman – Tasmania
1688 Dampier – Dampier and Cook – Great People in Australian History R.Copley
Pirates Don’t Pick Flowers – Richard Scotchilds
1768 Cook ASS – The Narrow Escape
James Cook Royal Navy – Finkel
Endeavour Reader
The Young Captain Cook – Frank Knight
Aboard the Endeavour; Cook’s Voyage – Bruce Stannard
This is the log that Cook kept while aboard The Endeavour. This book
has truly excited some of the children to keep logs daily journals of
their own!
The Voyage of the Endeavour – Wendy Macdonald.
Is a beautifully laid out ‘story’ of the voyage by most of others on
board. The story is rich in personal detail about the people, the cook,
the carpenter, the sail maker and Tahitian Priest who could whistle up
a wind!! The ‘Blue’ etchings and blue water colour drawings capture the
time, and spirit and excitement!
I Wish I’d Sailed With Captain Cook – Leonie Young
Simply written, this story describes a little of Cook’s early
life and his voyage to discover ‘Terra Australis’.
He Went With Captain Cook – Josephine Camm
1787 Mutiny on the Bounty – John Barrow
Captain William Bligh RN – Hamlyn
CONVICTS AND SETTLEMENT
John of Sydney Cove – Doris Chadwick
For the Term of His Natural Life – Marcus Clarke
The First Fleet – Alan Boardman
An Uncommonly Fine Day – John Anthony King
The story of the ‘first’ Australia Day, chronicling the
arrival of the First Fleet at Botany Bay, Phillip’s further
exploration and eventual decision to establish a colony at Sydney Cove.
A Mother Reads To Her Children – ?
The Convicts Daughter – Joyce Nicholson
Family Book of Mary Clare – Eleanor Spence
SEALING AND WHALING
Crusoe Boys – Vincent Servente
EARLY EXPLORERS AND SETTLERS
Voyages of Matthew Flinders – Hamlyn
ASS The Wrong Ship
Trim – Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders: Explorer And Scientist
1804 George Caley AE An Impassable Barrier
1813 Wentworth, Blaxland, Lawson
1814 The Crossing of the Blue Mountains – Alan Boardman
The need for the colony in Sydney to extend beyond the Blue Mountains,
and the journey of Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson across the mountains
and through to the plains of New South Wales are simply told in this
book
1829 Sturt AE Trouble on the Murray
1830’s A Saddle At Botharambo – HJ Samuel
House by the Water – Nance Donkin – Sydney
1835 Mitchell
1837 A House is Built – M Barnard Eldershaw
1839 They Came South – Mavis Thorpe Clarke
The Brown Land Was Green – Mavis Thorpe Clarke
Emma Keppler – Colin Thiele
The Seeds Inheritance – Colin Thiele
1841 Eyre
1844 Leichhardt AE The Folly of Leichhardt
1848 Kennedy AE – Kennedy
Bright Star – Gary Crew
When John Tebbutt, an Australian astronomer who made several remarkable
discoveries during the 1800s, visits a school classroom, he realizes
one of the girls potential and invites her to visit his observatory.
Ages: 7 upwards
Kings in Grass Castles – Mary Durack
Lillipillie Hill – Eleanor Spence
GOLD 1851
A picture book story about a family going to the diggings in the 1850s, and the life they lived there.
1854 Eureka – Eureka Stockade – Richard Butler
Eureka Stockade – Alan Boardman
The simple text and cartoon-like illustrations make this telling of the
events leading up to the Eureka Rebellion accessible to younger and
older children
Cobb and Co
When Cobb and Co Was King – Will Lawson
1859 – The Adventures of Burke and Wills – Frank Clune
Burke and Wills – Roland Harvey
A simple description of Burke and Wills’ ill-fated journey into Australia’s interior.
1860 Passing of the Aborigines – Daisy Bates
Bark House Days – Mary Fullerton
1865 Not Only In Stone – Phyllis Somerville – Moonta Copper Mines
1867 Escape to Murray River – Robert Elmer
Captive at Kangaroo Springs – Robert Elmer
1870 Ned Kelly – Frank Clune
Bushrangers Christmas Eve –Play by Kylie Tennant
Bushboys and Bushrangers Series– Father James Tierney
Acacia Terrace – Barbara Kerr Wilson
This story traces the history of Acacia Terrace, from its beginnings in
the 1870’s and chronicles the lives of the families who lived there
against a backdrop of increasing urbanization.
1874 Giles
1890’s Boer War
Breaker Morant – ? and video
1894 A Fortunate Life – AB Facey (abridged version available)
Seven Little Australians – Ethel Turner
The Family at Misrule – Ethel Turner
Little Mother Meg – Ethel Turner
Heart of Green Valley. – Meredith Resce
Set during the early days of the Australian colony, Meredith Resce’s
beautifully written historical fiction series follows the adventures of
young female pioneers.
Mary and Frances – Eleanor Spence
The Story of Mary McKillop
FEDERATION 1901
This book takes you back in time to show you Australia before and after
Federation. The easy-to-access information is presented in a ‘before’
and ‘after’ format.
1910 I Can Jump Puddles – Alan Marshall
We of the Never Never – Aeneas Gunn
Lightening Ridge }
Flynn of the Inland } Ion Idress
Silver City }
Cattle King }
Flying Doctor Calling – Ernestine Hill
Papa and the Olden Days – Ian Edwards
The text of “Papa and the Olden Days’ in conjunction with
Rachel Tonkin’s evocative illustrations, provide a look at life
in Thoona in country Victoria about 1910. All elements of family life
are touched upon – school, entertainment, local characters and events.
1910 AA – Duigan, Hart
1911 Mawson in Antartica
Australians In Antartica – Colin Heath
WW1 – Lighthorse to Damascus – Elaine Mitchell
600 Horsemen – Col Stringer
Desert Column – Ion Idress
Videos – Gallipoli & Anzacs
Simpson and His Donkey – Victorian Readers 5?
Jim and Wally – Mary Grant Bruce
1920 This Was My Valley – Rocky Marshall – Farming Story
Billabong Series – Mary Grant Bruce
River Murray Mary’ by Colin Thiele.
A story set in the 1920’s, about Mary Agnes Baker who lives with her
mum and dad at Gum Flat Farm on the banks of The Murray. The story is
filled with excitement, humour, drama encounter with a tiger snake and
poetic description of the River Murray and it’s surroundings! It is a
long picture book. Ages: 11yo and over
1930 Longtime Passing
– Hesba
Brimsmead
Riding High – GA Smith
Mail For the Back of Beyond – John Maddock
Seventh Pebble – Eleanor Spence (older readers)
Golden Fiddle – Mary Grant Bruce (older readers)
Hell West and Crooked – Tom Cole (older readers)
The Tram to Bondi Beach – Elizabeth Hathorn
A nostalgic slice of life in Sydney in the 1930’s.
Sun On The Stubble – Colin Thiele
Daughter of the Valley – Mireen Teusner
WW2
Looks at life as a child growing up in Port Melbourne during World War
II. Changes to life in the family, school and community are described,
as well as ways in which children contributed to the war effort.
The Naked Island – Changi Railroad – (older readers)
Missionary Turned Spy – APH Freund
MODERN
Poppy Treloar – Pixie Ohara
The House That Guilda Drew – Dutch Migrants
When I Was a Kid – Rachel Tonkin
A picture book about life in the 1950s, done as a series of vignettes
drawn from childhood memories – neighbours, trips to the beach, notable
events, domestic routines, schoolboy pranks. Text and illustrations
have been meticulously researched to give a fascinating glimpse of the
period.
Memorial – Gary Crew
A Moreton Bay Fig tree, planted as a memorial to Australian soldiers
killed in World War I, looks set to be cut down by the local council. A
young boy tells the moving story of the tree, as related by his great
grandfather, grandfather and father, each of whom has participated in
wars over the years. Interweaving themes of war, memory and
conservation while bringing the legend of the Anzacs to a new
generation, with brilliantly original collage illustration. Ages: 7
upwards
Another October Child – Eleanor Spence
COLIN THIELE
Storm Boy and Other Stories
Fight Against Albatross Two (Story of oil rig and oil spill)
Blue Fin – (Tuna Fishing at Port Lincoln), Dew on My Boots,
Mrs Munch and Puffing Billy.
H F BRINSMEAD
Listen to the Wind Decedents of Islanders bought to Australia to work
Pastures of the Blue Crane
The Honey Forest
MAVIS THORPE CLARKE
Spark Of Opal
New Golden Mountain
Iron Mountain
The Min-min
Graeme Green
Power Without Glory – (older readers)