Nancy Cushing

A history of Australia through 15 case studies of animals, exploring how the relationship between humans and animals have shaped this region.

Cute, captivating and strange, Australia’s distinctive marsupials- kangaroos and koalas - have long served as touchstones of national pride and identity. Other animals have, in comparison, been viewed in a highly negative light; crocodiles as fearsome predators, disease-ridden mosquitoes and the tragedy of Tasmanian tigers. But rarely have these species been seen as making history. Responding to calls to incorporate Aboriginal ways of knowing into historical understanding, this book presents a new history of Australia through 15 stories of non-human animal species. Showing that humans are not the sole makers of history, it highlights Australian animals that were on the continent prior to human occupation, those who arrived as fellow travellers, those who thrived with us and those for whom people have meant decline and even extinction. What can the dingo tell us about ongoing contact between Australia’s indigenous peoples and ancient travellers? How did sheep spark widespread violence? Why was the introduction of the rabbit such a monumental mistake, and why does Australia have the world’s largest population of feral camels? Exploring all these questions and more, A New History of Australia in 15 Animals shows how non-human habitants have both enabled and frustrated human intentions, and shaped the history of this continent.

This book provides a lively and accessible account of Australia’s most prominent crimes and criminals of the nineteenth and twentieth century and offers an informative background for those seeking to understand crimes committed today. A History of Crime in Australia examines the imposition of English law on this ancient continent, and how its operation affected both transported offenders from Great Britain and Ireland, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose own systems of Law were overlaid. Drawing upon cutting-edge research in the field, original work by the author, and essays from leading crime history researchers, it addresses the question of whether there was an Australian underworld. In doing so, it provides background for well known offenders including bushranger Ned Kelly and the razor gangs of the 1920s and for sensational crimes like the Mount Rennie Outrage, the Pyjama Girl Mystery and the Shark Arm Murder and the miscarriage of justice following the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru in 1980. Through these case studies, the book draws out points of tension and cohesion within Australian society, exposing the enduring anxiety around those who were considered to be outsiders, and how the criminal justice system was used to manage these concerns. This book includes a guide to conducting research in the field of Australian crime history and sources for further study. Designed as an introductory text for students, this book will be of interest to those studying criminology and crime history, and anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of crime’s place in Australia’s social and cultural history.

This book provides a lively and accessible account of Australia’s most prominent crimes and criminals of the nineteenth and twentieth century and offers an informative background for those seeking to understand crimes committed today. A History of Crime in Australia examines the imposition of English law on this ancient continent, and how its operation affected both transported offenders from Great Britain and Ireland, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose own systems of Law were overlaid. Drawing upon cutting-edge research in the field, original work by the author, and essays from leading crime history researchers, it addresses the question of whether there was an Australian underworld. In doing so, it provides background for well known offenders including bushranger Ned Kelly and the razor gangs of the 1920s and for sensational crimes like the Mount Rennie Outrage, the Pyjama Girl Mystery and the Shark Arm Murder and the miscarriage of justice following the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru in 1980. Through these case studies, the book draws out points of tension and cohesion within Australian society, exposing the enduring anxiety around those who were considered to be outsiders, and how the criminal justice system was used to manage these concerns. This book includes a guide to conducting research in the field of Australian crime history and sources for further study. Designed as an introductory text for students, this book will be of interest to those studying criminology and crime history, and anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of crime’s place in Australia’s social and cultural history.

Before Steve Irwin, Alby Mangels, the Leyland Brothers and Harry Butler there was Eric Worrell. This book traces the life and times of Worrell, the original reptile danger man and naturalist, and the iconic tourist attraction he established on the NSW Central Coast in 1959, The Australian Reptile Park. With the assistance of a committed team of keepers, Worrell created the country's pre-eminent reptile collection at the park, as well as being the main provider of snake and funnel web spider venom for the Commonwealth Serum Laboratory. Based on extensive interviews with staff and supporters, Snake-bitten is the intriguing story of the larger-than-life Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park, which continues to be a leader in wildlife tourism, conservation, education and research.