Khaki Town by Judy Nunn

$32.99 AUD

Category: Fiction

Khaki Town, Judy Nunn's exciting new novel, is inspired by a true wartime story that has remained a well-kept secret for over seventy years. It seems to have happened overnight, Val thought . How extraordinary. We've become a khaki town. It's March 1942. Singapore has fallen. Darwin has been bombed. Au stralia is on the brink of being invaded by the Imperial Japanese Forces. And Val Callahan, publican of The Brown's Hotel in Townsville, could not be happier as she contemplates the fortune she's making from lonely, thirsty soldiers. Overnight the small Queensland city is transformed into the transport hub for 70,000 American and Australian soldiers destined for combat in the South Pacific. Barbed wire and gun emplacements cover the beaches. Historic buildings are commandeered. And the dance halls are in full swing with jazz, jitterbug and jive. The Australian troops begrudge the confident, well-fed 'Yanks' who have taken over their town and their women. There's growing conflict, too, within the American ranks, because black GIs are enjoying the absence of segregation. And the white GIs don't like it. As racial violence explodes through the ranks of the military, a young United States Congressman, Lyndon Baines Johnson, is sent to Townsville by his president to investigate. 'Keep a goddamned lid on it, Lyndon,' he is told, 'lest it explode in our faces...'     ...Show more

The Kimberley - Australia's Wilderness by david bettini (Photographer)

$69.99 AUD

Category: General

From the tiger-striped domes of Purnululu to the opal-blue waters of Buccaneer Archipelago, the Kimberley is the most remarkable wilderness in Australia Acclaimed nature photographer David Bettini has captured the essence of the Kimberley's sweeping ranges, plunging gorges and tropical wetlands. He tak es you on a voyage down its convoluted coastline, past sandstone headlands, through mangrove-lined inlets and out to pristine reefs This book contains breathtaking images that celebrate the stark beauty of the dry season and the drama of the wet, when thunderstorms and torrential rain descend on its ancient landscape ...Show more

Pocket Guide Australian Tropical Mushrooms and other Fungi

$9.99 AUD

Category: Plants and Animals

The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay: The 1942 Bombing of Broome, and its Tragic Aftermath by Ian W. Shaw

$32.99 AUD

Category: Broome History

The Japanese attack on Broome is the second most deadly air raid on Australia soil in our history and yet it's almost entirely overlooked. On 3 March 1942, nine Japanese Zero planes strafed the small town planning to destroy the aerodrome and American planes. With no notice, the townsfolk could only put up minimal opposition and in an attack that lasted only an hour, almost one hundred men, women and children lost their lives. Not a single operational aircraft remained in Broome, but the shocking loss of human life can never be truly calculated. The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay tells the story of this tragedy, shining light on a story that has slipped through the cracks of history. A captivating tale of refugees and soldiers, of reputations made and lost, of survival and spirit that resonates to today. ...Show more

Cattlemen in Pearls - Celebrating Women in Agriculture by Ian and Anne Galloway (Concept by)

$45.00 AUD

Category: General

Cattlemen in Pearls introduces us to 28 remarkable Australian women, spanning three generations, whose love for the land and livestock is ingrained in their genetic profile. These powerful, surprising and moving mini-biographies recount tales of gritty determination, direst tragedy and glorious courage. We are given rare insight into how and what it's like to start a cattle business from scratch; to run a successful stud enterprise; to manage a vast cattle station; to head a pastoral industry group and corporation.The tough physical and emotional terrain of the bush, and strong family ties, play a role in each of these diverse, down-to-earth and sometimes heartbreaking stories. There are droughts, floods, emergencies, times of despair and loss, as well as hilarious antics, joyous gatherings and extraordinary stories of success. For each of these thoroughly capable, warm-hearted women there is simply no other lifestyle choice. Cattlemen in Pearls is a compelling tribute to women in agriculture, specifically Australia's beef industry. ...Show more

Mariners Are Warned : John Lort Stokes and H.M.S. Beagle in Australia 1837-1843 by Marsden Hordern

$42.99 AUD

Category: History

" John Lort Stokes was commissioned by the British Hydrographic Office in 1837 to survey and chart unknown parts of the Australian coastline. He was the last Royal Navy surveyor to hold such a roving commission as had Matthew Flinders and Phillip Parker King before him. The voyage lasted six years and his ship was H.M.S. Beagle, of Charles Darwin fame. Stokes circumnavigated Australia twice. In the north he discovered the Fitzroy, Albert and Flinders rivers and Port Darwin, and in the south charted that graveyard of sailing ships, Bass Strait. A century later, twelve of his charts were still in use. The occasional breathtaking foolhardiness of this earnest and conscientious man startles the reader, as it must have done his men. On a whim, Stokes twice risked drowning himself and others with him, and he made several daredevil escapes from crocodiles. The stories are gripping, and Marsden Hordern is a gifted and vigorous storyteller. He is ably assisted by the ship s mate, Helpman a chatty, witty chronicler. Mariners are Warned! is an engrossing biography, written with empathy by a fellow mariner. Winner of the Age Book of the Year; Victori ...Show more

Back on Track - How One Man and His Dogs Are Changing the Lives of Rural Kids by Bernie Shakeshaft; James Knight

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography /Memoir

As a kid, Bernie Shakeshaft's mischievous and reckless behaviour led him to became known as the wild one of his devout Catholic family. It isn't surprising that his path led him to the Northern Territory, a place where people often go to either lose themselves or find themselves. Bernie, a searcher for his purpose in life, found himself. He had many jobs, firstly as a ringer on a cattle station owned by the Packer family, and later as a dingo trapper for the Parks and Wildlife Service. Throughout it all, he drank, he swore, he fought, and took chances with his own well-being. But, crucially, he also developed deep connections with the Indigenous people, and it was these connections that helped lay the foundations for what was to come. He worked for youth welfare organisations, and all the while he built up his knowledge about helping wayward youths, particularly those from Indigenous communities. Years later, Bernie was living in Armidale. He'd been visiting too many kids in prison and going to too many funerals. The usual methods weren't working so that reckless, mischievous kid inside him decided he could do better. He started a youth program called BackTrack, with three aims: To keep them alive, out of jail and chasing their hopes and dreams. For most, this was their last chance. Combining life skills, education, job preparedness with rural work, Bernie threw in one other factor: dogs! And it works. With the help of these working dogs, the lost boys (and girls) find their way back on track. These days, Backtrack youth tour the country competing in dog-jumping trials. Bernie and the BackTrack team are now supporting other communities in Dubbo, Condobolin and Bourke and have forged a new beginning for over 1000 young people. This one man is making a huge difference. In Back on Track, bestselling author James Knight tells Bernie's story and the stories of those whose lives he has saved. It is a powerful reminder that we should never give up on our kids.   'This fella Bernie, he's a good fella, a bit of a genius really. What a great story.' - Russell Crowe ...Show more

Warndu Mai (Good Food) Introducing Native Australian Ingredients to Your Kitchen by Rebecca Sullivan; Damien Coulthard

$47.00 AUD

Category: Plants and Animals

A fully illustrated contemporary cookbook featuring Australian native foods that is the perfect resource for any Aussie kitchen. This gorgeous illustrated, informative and contemporary cookbook and compendium of native foods will show you how to create truly Australian food and drinks at home. With a f ew small adjustments and a little experimentation you can prepare delicious food that is better for the Australian environment, is more sustainable and celebrates the amazing ingredients that are truly local. Warndu Mai (Good Food) contains information about seasonal availability, hints, tips and over 80 illustrated and accessible recipes showcasing Australian native foods, using ingredients such as Kakadu plum, native currants, finger lime and pepperberry to create unique dishes and treats - from wattleseed brownies, emu egg sponge cake and bunya nut pesto to native berry, cherry and lime cordial, strawberry gum pavlova and kangaroo carpaccio. It's a must-have for every kitchen. ...Show more

Ian Mckellen: The Biography by Gary O'Connor

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography /Memoir | Reading Level: 3 Biography

Few actors achieve in their lifetime what Sir Ian McKellen has. A repertoire of vast commercial success coupled with critically acclaimed and authoritative Shakespearian roles. A man whose gargantuan personality and varied achievements inspire both admiration and affection. McKellen has been feted and admired in every country across the globe, and has been knighted by, and received the Companionship of Honour from Queen Elizabeth II. He is an icon of, and ardent campaigner in, the cause for LGBT rights. Many of us know of McKellen through his depiction of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Garry O'Connor's definitive biography reveals the man behind McKellen the actor. The inside story of the person himself: a constantly developing drama and a work in progress. Yet Garry O'Connor pulls no punches: some of his revelations may be controversial to his fans, even explosive, given McKellen's constant ability to shock and surprise. The author has himself directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and directed McKellen in some of his very first roles. This is an unflinching, yet deeply intimate and affectionate, biography that, like McKellen himself, will stand the test of time as a rounded and complete portrait of one of the most unusual geniuses of our times. ...Show more

Cicada by Moira McKinnon

$24.99 AUD

Category: Fiction

A stunning novel of terror, love and survival in the greatest wilderness on earth. A lyrical, heartbreaking epic debut. An isolated property in the middle of Western Australia, just after the Great War. An English heiress has just given birth and unleashed hell. Weakened and grieving, she realises her l ife is in danger, and flees into the desert with her Aboriginal maid. One of them is running from a murderer; the other is accused of murder. Soon the women are being hunted across the Kimberley by troopers, trackers and the man who wants to silence them both. How they survive in the searing desert and what happens when they are finally found will take your breath away. ...Show more

Red Dust in Her Veins : Women of the Pilbara - SIGNED by LISA HOLLAND-MCNAIR

$26.99 AUD

Category: History

God Before Gugeri Luggers, Trucks & Water Bores & Other Kimberley Stories by GUGERI MICHAEL

$58.00 AUD

Category: History

The Gugeri family have been landmarks in the Kimberley for nearly a century. This book follows four generations of life in the north, from pearling, carrying, Anna Plains station, water boring, Cockatoo Island, oil drilling, wool carting, the Underworld, rockets, fishing, and many incidents and characte rs. Biographies of Doug Blythe, Billie King and details of many other Kimberley personalities are also offered. --Publisher's website. ...Show more