10 Best Books About Australian History | Learn About History of Australia

A distinctive nation with a rich indigenous and colonial history, Australia has much to offer by means of legacy. Here are a few books to help you scratch the tremendous surface of Australian history. These books span everything from Aboriginal stories and primal mythologies to evolutions of art and food over the centuries. If you want to learn about history of Australia these 10 best books about Australian history you should must read.

Down Under by Bill Bryson

This is part travelogue, part historical non fiction and part love letter to Australia. In his characteristic witty and informative style, Bryson takes us through the length and breadth of Australia. We look at her flora and fauna, terrain, people, their history and the cultural legacy of the nation.

Extinct by Benjamin Gray

Although Australia is known for its variety and distinctiveness of wildlife, the ecological landscape there isn’t all that smooth. In this book, Gray takes a look at all the magnificent wildlife of Australia that is now extinct. The book laments their loss, but also celebrates their life on the planet in this beautiful country.

A History of Australia by Mark Peel and Christina Twomey

Taking a multifaceted approach to Australia’s vast historical canvas, Peel takes us through monumental events in her cultural, social, political and economic history. From the origins of folk civilization in the country through its tedious years of colonialism and recent migrations, this book covers it all.

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

This book traces the agricultural revolution in Aboriginal Australia. Exploring the rich food history of precolonial Australia, Pascoe argues that the colonial versions of this history suppress it. Thus, with passion and meticulous research, Pascoe brings to us a vivacious, never seen before natural history of Australian food.

Only in Australia by William Coleman

Coleman’s history focuses on the distinctiveness of Australia. Indeed, Australia has ecologically, politically, socially and historically stood out. The initial cause of this distinction was geographic separation from the rest of the world, but now it is actively forging a new path for itself. Coleman, in his political and social history, documents this.

Australian Mythology by Matt Clayton

Mythology and folklore is an essential part of any nation’s history, because it is always deeply embedded in its people’s collective unconscious. From its birth 40000 years ago, Australia as one of the earliest civilizations of the world, has provided us with a rich source of myths. In this collection of these myths, Clayton outdoes expectations.

Ednapedia by Dame Edna Everage

This, as appropriately subtitled, as a history of Australia in 100 objects. A brilliant encyclopedia that compiles just about everything from the Opera House to the Uluru and even gum nuts, this book has it all. Across the disciplines of ecology and biology, architecture, technology and culinary arts, this book spans the length and breadth of time and space.

Rethinking Australia’s Art History by Susan Lowish

From the coinage of the term Aboriginal Art to its modern conception, this book traverses time through the lens of art. Lowish looks at the sociopolitical scenarios that shaped literature, painting, dance and music. And in the process, he gives as great insight into the cultural life of Australians.

True to the Land by Paul Van Reyk

Through the perspectives of climate, colonialism, immigration and more, Reyk traces the food history of Australia. Compressing the history of food from the arrival of the first peoples to modern issues, he makes the mouth water and the heart full.

From The Ruins of Colonialism by Chris Healy

This is partly a history of the reinvention of Australia post colonialism and partly a postcolonial philosophy text that argues against cultural amnesia. In this book, Healy takes us through key moments in Australian postcolonial history. This induces a sense of wonder and awe for this country.

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