Told by ABC journalists who were on the ground and broadcasting during our worst ever fire season, spearheaded by Michael Rowland The bushfires that burnt across Australia from June 2019 to February 2020 were unprecedented. By the time the rains came, they had devoured more than 18 million hectares of bush and farm land, destroyed nearly 3000 homes, claimed the lives of 33 people, killed about a billion animals and driven more to the brink of extinction. The heartbreak, pain, loss and uncertainty were felt far and wide. These were fires that burnt in every state and affected all Australians, directly or indirectly. But out of the tragedies, the fear, the lost homes, the burnt forests, the bleak holidays, the unrelenting smoke have come stories of courage and community. ABC journalists on the ground during the crises brought many of these stories into homes across the nation. This book contains updates, new stories and overviews by them, as well as reflections on how such a catastrophe occurred and what we have learnt from it. It is both a record of the events and a tribute to those who endured, escaped, fought and in some cases paid the ultimate price. With forewords by Ita Buttrose and Andrew Constance, and contributions from Casey Briggs, Jessie Davies, Daniel Doody, Matthew Doran, Brittany Evins, Richard Glover, Nick Hose, Melinda James, Tom Joyner, Jonathon Kendall, Stacey Lee, Hamish Macdonald, Jade Macmillan, Jennifer McCutcheon, Philippa McDonald, Karen Michelmore, Greg Nelson, Adriane Reardon, Michael Rowland, Baz Ruddick, Erin Semmler, Josh Szeps, Claire Wheaton and Philip Williams. All publisher profits from this book will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

A substantial backyard has long been considered an iconic feature of the Australian suburb. Nevertheless, during the 1990s, a dramatic change occurred: substantial backyards largely disappeared from new suburban houses in Australia. Whatever the size of lot, the dwelling now covers most of its developable area. Although the planning system does not actually promote this change, it does little to prevent it. It appears to be a physical expression of the way that Australian lifestyles are changing for the worse, in particular longer working hours. This in turn raises issues about health and wellbeing, especially for children. Vegetation surrounding the dwelling plays an important role in microclimate, storm drainage and biodiversity, irrespective of whether the residents use their backyard. Its loss has serious ecological implications, a deficit rendered permanent by the changes to the housing stock. The Life and Death of the Australian Backyard is based on a detailed quantitative study of this increasing, but previously unstudied, problem. It discusses the nature, uses and meaning of the traditional backyard, presents an understanding of the changes that have been happening and suggests possible remedies. All professionals working in the landscape and development industries, local government, consultancies and in universities should read this unique study of an issue of increasing significance to urban sustainability.

Originally published in 1934, this book was based upon the Alfred Marshall lectures and offers an account of the Great Depression in Australia as it happened in Australia, presenting an outline of the economic crisis and sketching the main lines of policy pursued in reaction to it.

Felicity Meakins was awarded the Kenneth L. Hale Award 2021 by the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) for outstanding work on the documentation of endangered languages Australia is known for its linguistic diversity and extensive contact between languages. This edited volume is the first dedicated to language contact in Australia since colonisation, marking a new era of linguistic work, and contributing new data to theoretical discussions on contact languages and language contact processes. It provides explanations for contemporary contact processes in Australia and much-needed descriptions of contact languages, including pidgins, creoles, mixed languages, contact varieties of English, and restructured Indigenous languages. Analyses of complex and dynamic processes are informed by rich sociolinguistic description.

At Batchelor Field, near Darwin, an American Flying Fortress lies broken with over 1,100 shrapnel and bullet holes in her skin. This war-torn, B-17C bomber has already performed sterling service in the air battle over the Philippines. Stripped of her heavy armament, she is made ready for transport duty to the beleaguered Aussie Diggers along the northern coast of New Guinea. In March 1943, she begins daily transport service, ferrying American GIs from the jungle battlefields of New Guinea to the US Army Rest Area in Mackay, Qld, for R&R leave. On June 14, 1943, she takes off from Mackay Airport on her final, tragic flight.

A moving insider’s account of surviving one of Australia’s worst bushfires – and how we live with fire in a climate-changed world The gripping, deeply moving account of a terrifying fire – among the most ferocious Australia has ever seen The Currowan fire – ignited by a lightning strike in a remote forest and growing to engulf the New South Wales South Coast – was one of the most terrifying episodes of Australia’s Black Summer. It burnt for seventy-four days, consuming nearly 5000 square kilometres of land, destroying well over 500 homes and leaving many people shattered. Bronwyn Adcock fled the inferno with her children. Her husband, fighting at the front, rang with a plea for help before his phone went dead, leaving her to fear: will he make it out alive? In Currowan, Bronwyn tells her story and those of many others – what they saw, thought and felt as they battled a blaze of never-before-seen intensity. In the aftermath, there were questions: why were resources so few that many faced the flames alone? Why was there back-burning on a day of extreme fire danger? Why weren’t we better prepared? Currowan is a portrait of tragedy, survival and the power of community. Set against the backdrop of a nation in the grip of an intensifying crisis, this immersive account of a region facing disaster is a powerful glimpse into a new, more dangerous world – and how we build resilience. Bronwyn Adcock is an award-winning Australian journalist and writer. She has worked as a radio current-affairs reporter and documentary maker for the ABC, as a video journalist for SBS’s Dateline and as a freelance writer, including for Griffith Review and The Monthly. ‘A searing account of surviving Australia’s Black Summer, laced with grim warnings about how exposed the country still is to more catastrophic bushfires.’ —Michael Rowland, editor of Black Summer ‘A vivid and terrifying glimpse of not just our future but our present. Every Australian should read this book.‘ —Sophie Cunningham, author of Warning: The Story of Cyclone Tracy ‘Bronwyn Adcock offers a powerful, devastating account of Australia’s worst bushfire disaster from ground zero. This is a story of heartbreaking loss, as well as humble acts of care and bravery that helped save lives and property and find ways forward. Adcock offers us a window into the human story of the climate crisis, beyond the science and politics, to why action now matters so very much.’ —Amanda McKenzie, CEO, Climate Council ‘A brilliant piece of reportage from the inside of the Black Summer maelstrom – and a frightening glimpse of the future that awaits us all as we ignore the causes of climate change.’ —Adrian Hyland, author of Kinglake-350