1. Down Under by Bill Bryson (2000)
When Bill Bryson journeyed to Australia, he promptly fell in love with the country. This book conveys the infectious Australian larrikin nature and “no worries” attitude, whilst idyllically conjuring images for the reader of the coastal cities; the outback; and the sunshine. Nothing will bring out a sense of nationalist pride, or have you planning your next getaway like Down Under.
2. Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs (1918)
Join Snugglepot and Cuddlepie for magical adventures in the Australian bush. These quintessentially Australian tales have never been out of print, as the fantasy world of May Gibbs has been a source of continual fascination for generations of children. Film Australia went onto televise a ballet adaption performed by the Dancers Company of the Australian Ballet School with guest artists from the Australian Ballet. This national treasure will have you and your little ones rearing for a camping trip in the Australian bushland, but the backyard will have to do for now.
3. Ultimate Australian Road Trips by Lee Atkinson (2020)
Ultimate Road Trips Australia is a collection of 40 of Australia's best driving holidays. Each chapter includes information on things to see and do, detailed route maps and a handy list of distances to help you plan your trip, as well as lots of useful advice on family-friendly attractions, where to eat and the best hotels, guesthouses, caravan parks and camping spots. Readers will find details on the best time of year to visit, driving tips and a guide to surviving a road trip with a back seat full of kids. Keep this book in the car for when it’s safe to head out on the road, or curl up with it at home and dream about your next journey.
4. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe (2014)
Bruce Pascoe’s, from the remote Victorian town Gipsy Point in Gippsland, Dark Emu rewrote Australian history, and continues to win awards, inspire projects and change the colonisation conversation. It re-examines compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required. A new kids’ version is available asking young readers to consider a different version of Australia. The book was even adapted into a dance performance by Bangarra in 2016.
5. The Land Before Avocado by Richard Glover (2018)
This book is a vivid portrait of Australia from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s: a place that is scary, weird, dangerous, incomprehensible and surprisingly appealing. Land Before Avocado will make you laugh and cry, be angry and inspired. And leave you wondering how bizarre things were, not so long ago. Most of all it will make you realise how far we've come - and how much further we can go. Spoiler alert: it wasn't that long ago that Australias didn’t have avocados.
6. Possum Magic by Mem Fox (1983)
Possum Magic is the perfect bedtime tale for the kids. Mem Fox chose possums as the main characters in Australia’s best-selling picture book, as at the time of writing she had baby possums running around her roof in Canberra. Taking inspiration from around Australia to build out the possums’ adventures, this nostalgic classic is the perfect book to snuggle up under the doona with.
7. The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay (1918)
Albert, the angry brown pudding with sticks for legs, is immortal. Many creatures — both human and otherwise — dig into him, but there's always more. Published at the end of World War I, the book uplifted a nation with its patriotically Australian native animals and its never-ending source of nourishment (even the chapters are divided by slices). Honoured with a postage stamp in 1985, the book takes pride of place at the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum in the Blue Mountains. The book has since been adapted for screen and stage (including by Victorian Opera and the 2001 animated film) many times over.
8. The United States of Australia by Cameron Jamieson (2014)
A must-read for any Americans planning to visit the sunburnt country, this book examines the relationship between Australia and America, and how Australians view their American counterparts. Key chapters include “Blokes and Sheilas”, “Bloody Foster’s, Dangerous Creatures”, “Talking to Dogs”, “The GAFA”, “Speaking Strail-yun” and ``Working for the Queen”. It’ll even keep locals entertained for a lazy afternoon.
9. Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey (1979)
This cult classic is the definitive Australian story of teenagers navigating the chaos of life. When Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey wrote Puberty Blues in the late 1970s, the Sutherland Shire had only really transformed itself from a series of villages to a proper suburb a decade or two before. Re-reading this classic will have you mentally planning your next beachside escape!
This book is a vivid portrait of Australia from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s: a place that is scary, weird, dangerous, incomprehensible and surprisingly appealing. Land Before Avocado will make you laugh and cry, be angry and inspired. And leave you wondering how bizarre things were, not so long ago. Most of all it will make you realise how far we've come - and how much further we can go. Spoiler alert: it wasn't that long ago that Australias didn’t have avocados.
6. Possum Magic by Mem Fox (1983)
Possum Magic is the perfect bedtime tale for the kids. Mem Fox chose possums as the main characters in Australia’s best-selling picture book, as at the time of writing she had baby possums running around her roof in Canberra. Taking inspiration from around Australia to build out the possums’ adventures, this nostalgic classic is the perfect book to snuggle up under the doona with.
7. The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay (1918)
Albert, the angry brown pudding with sticks for legs, is immortal. Many creatures — both human and otherwise — dig into him, but there's always more. Published at the end of World War I, the book uplifted a nation with its patriotically Australian native animals and its never-ending source of nourishment (even the chapters are divided by slices). Honoured with a postage stamp in 1985, the book takes pride of place at the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum in the Blue Mountains. The book has since been adapted for screen and stage (including by Victorian Opera and the 2001 animated film) many times over.
8. The United States of Australia by Cameron Jamieson (2014)
A must-read for any Americans planning to visit the sunburnt country, this book examines the relationship between Australia and America, and how Australians view their American counterparts. Key chapters include “Blokes and Sheilas”, “Bloody Foster’s, Dangerous Creatures”, “Talking to Dogs”, “The GAFA”, “Speaking Strail-yun” and ``Working for the Queen”. It’ll even keep locals entertained for a lazy afternoon.
9. Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey (1979)
This cult classic is the definitive Australian story of teenagers navigating the chaos of life. When Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey wrote Puberty Blues in the late 1970s, the Sutherland Shire had only really transformed itself from a series of villages to a proper suburb a decade or two before. Re-reading this classic will have you mentally planning your next beachside escape!
10. The WordMap: What words are used where in Australia by Kel Richards (2005)
In conjunction with the Macquarie Library, ABC Online conducted a poll amongst the ABC audience - is Australian’s use of idiom, slang and euphemism the same Australia-wide? Is the word for swimming costume the same in Perth as it is in Brisbane? Is the word 'bogan' used across the nation? What are 'bingo wings' and are they called that in Hobart or in Cairns? The WordMap defines and charts the highly idiosyncratic language that Aussies love best, to discover whether Australia is a nation of one common language after all.
Tourism Australia
In conjunction with the Macquarie Library, ABC Online conducted a poll amongst the ABC audience - is Australian’s use of idiom, slang and euphemism the same Australia-wide? Is the word for swimming costume the same in Perth as it is in Brisbane? Is the word 'bogan' used across the nation? What are 'bingo wings' and are they called that in Hobart or in Cairns? The WordMap defines and charts the highly idiosyncratic language that Aussies love best, to discover whether Australia is a nation of one common language after all.
Tourism Australia
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