Written with young readers in mind, this lively, lucid account of Australia and its people begins with the geographic shaping of the continent millions of years ago and continues to the present time. Here is the fascinating story of a land inhabited since the last Ice Age by Aboriginal tribes, a land which remained undiscovered to the rest of the world until the birth of the modern industrial age, when European settlement reshaped it in political and social terms. Original sources are used to highlight episodes in a way that will especially appeal to young readers: we hear the voices of Aborigines bewildered by the advent of the European; of those who made the perilous journey across the world in sailing ships... We share the weariness of explorers trudging towards a far horizon; the elation of a lucky gold-digger... We storm the heights at Gallipoli alongside the Anzacs; and realize what it was like to go hungry during the Great Depression, or to fight in the jungles of New Guinea... The history, a distinguished collaboration between Manning Clark and Meredith Hooper is lavishly decorated throughout in colour and black-and-white by Susanne Ferrier, whose illustrations perfectly complement the text and give the book an extra, vivid dimension of sheer visual enjoyment. The Ashton Scholastic History of Australia is a book to be shared, appreciated and enjoyed by families throughout Australia, and by all those eager to discover the story of this new country within an ancient lan