A Shorter History of AustraliaAfter a lifetime of research and debate on Australian and international history, Geoffrey Blainey is well-placed to introduce us to the people who have played a part and to guide us through the events which have created the Australian identity--the mania for spectator sport, the suspicion of the tall poppy, the rivalries of Catholic and Protestant, Sydney and Melbourne, new and old homelands, the conflicts of war abroad and race at home, the importance of technology, the recognition of the Australian Aboriginal past and Native Title, the successes and failures of the nation. He has described significant events and trends of the early-20th century. A final chapter boldly asked: what made Australia's history so distinctive? He shows two decisive factors--distance and climate--weaving in and out, again and again, over 50,000 years. |
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Page 6
... climate also helped to extinguish creatures seen in abundance by the first Aborigines. In recent years, archaeologists have investigated caves which reveal the bones of some of these vanished species. Mammoth Cave, lying south of ...
... climate also helped to extinguish creatures seen in abundance by the first Aborigines. In recent years, archaeologists have investigated caves which reveal the bones of some of these vanished species. Mammoth Cave, lying south of ...
Page 7
... climate will become warmer , and that the oceans will rise , are fears of mighty change . But it is a change of a far smaller magnitude than the Aborigines experienced . In the space of fifty lifetimes , as we shall see , they endured a ...
... climate will become warmer , and that the oceans will rise , are fears of mighty change . But it is a change of a far smaller magnitude than the Aborigines experienced . In the space of fifty lifetimes , as we shall see , they endured a ...
Page 17
... climate became warmer and, as masses of ice were melted, the seas began to rise. Aborigines who lived on wide plains sloping gently to the sea were the first to see the waves encroaching, especially at high tides. For century after ...
... climate became warmer and, as masses of ice were melted, the seas began to rise. Aborigines who lived on wide plains sloping gently to the sea were the first to see the waves encroaching, especially at high tides. For century after ...
Page 18
... climate transformed the interior . On Tasmania's higher mountains the Aborigines saw glaciers slowly melt and vanish . On its west coast they saw, generation after generation, the vegetation slowly 18 A Shorter History of Australia.
... climate transformed the interior . On Tasmania's higher mountains the Aborigines saw glaciers slowly melt and vanish . On its west coast they saw, generation after generation, the vegetation slowly 18 A Shorter History of Australia.
Page 19
... climate and replaced by others. Grasslands in central Australia slowly became half-desert. In compensation, some regions which had been too cold now had a longer growing season. What we now call a tropical climate began to occupy vast ...
... climate and replaced by others. Grasslands in central Australia slowly became half-desert. In compensation, some regions which had been too cold now had a longer growing season. What we now call a tropical climate began to occupy vast ...
Contents
3 | |
17 | |
25 | |
Arabs of the grasslands | 39 |
The fading of the yellow flannel | 53 |
Part Two The Land I Love | 69 |
The first gold rushes | 71 |
The age of the marvellous | 88 |
The war to end war | 169 |
What an unlimited future | 183 |
A tidal wave from Japan | 203 |
A car and a mountain | 217 |
Black and green resurrection | 243 |
A nation on walkabout | 258 |
the Queen and Mr Mabo | 271 |
The vast open spaces | 284 |
Eyes | 111 |
The rise of the sporting hero | 122 |
Riding the disaster | 133 |
The flush of violet | 143 |
Part Three From Gallipoli to Uluru | 167 |
Sails and anchors | 295 |
A short chronicle of Australian history | 305 |
Further reading | 310 |
Index | 314 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aborigines Adelaide arrived Asia Asian Ballarat banks became become began Ben Chifley Botany Bay Brisbane Britain British Isles Broken Hill Canberra century Chifley Chinese church cities climate coast colony Commonwealth continent convicts culture decade drought early economic election England English Europe European exports factories farmers farms favoured federal fighting Gallipoli gold rushes goldfields Guinea Harbour horses immigration Indonesia islands Japan Japanese Kalgoorlie kilometres Labor Party land later leaders living London Melbourne Menzies migrants million minerals mining nation Northern Territory numbers outback overseas parliament Paul Keating perhaps Perth political politicians population port prime minister Queensland railways River rural sailing seen settlers sheep ships soldiers South Australia South Wales sport steam Sydney Tasmania thousands town tropical vast Victoria Vietnam vote Western Australia White Australia Policy women wool young Zealand