Our Sunburnt Country: Australian history for children

First published in 1964 this book was written by a young schoolteacher. It was a bestseller. It was updated and republished in 2013 by the original author who was still a passionate researcher of Australian history.

Our Sunburnt Country tells the story of Australia’s heritage. It includes Aboriginal settlement, Dreamtime stories, European explorers, the First Fleet’s arrival, the Rum Rebellion, the establishment of British colonies, mapping of the interior and coastline, the discovery of gold, the Eureka Stockade, bushrangers, Federation and Australia’s prime ministers, the growth of industry, the world wars, the ‘White Australia Policy’ and immigration, natural disasters, the 2000 Olympic Games and moves towards reconciliation with Indigenous Australians including Mabo and National Sorry Day.

The book is written for primary aged children. It does not set out to be a detailed date and fact dissection of all that has happened. Instead, it offers its young readers a smooth flowing narrative that captures the historical events that have shaped Australia.

It includes the original foreword by Alec H. Chisholm, OBE, updated author preface and the poem My Country by Dorothea Mackellar. The original water colour illustrations by Molly Johnson have been reproduced in black and white.