Our Country: Where History Happened
Mark Greenwood (Illust: Frané Lessac)
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781760653576
Awards Year: 2024
Category: Eve Pownall Award

Blurb

The second title in the OUR COUNTRY series, celebrating and contextualising the richness of Australia's history, and where it happened.

In every corner of Australia, history happened. The pages of this book are a journey through tens of thousands of years. Our history is recorded in ancient rock art, in the flag flown at the Eureka Stockade, by Burke and Wills' tree. All around our coastline history unfolded in shipwrecks and ship arrivals. Sometimes tragic, often regrettable, always formative, history is commemorated from Tasmania and throughout the mainland at the sites of prisons and massacres. From the birthplace of a new federated nation at the beginning of the twentieth century in Sydney's Centennial Park to Eddie Mabo's struggle for acknowledgement of land rights in the 1990s, history happened all around Our Country.

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The CBCA judges say...

Another outstanding contribution to the story of our country by this prolific and brilliant duo. Beautifully and comprehensively told in distinctive style and incorporating much significant historical information, this is a colourful feast for the eyes. The front and back endpapers illustrate a timeline of noteworthy historical events, with each location also including the names of the traditional owners of the land. It includes a strong focus on First Nations history and wider aspects of Australian culture, identity and history, including reference to the Dutch (Dirk Hartog), Chinese history, and female history. With three types of side-by -side story it cleverly provides readers with different levels of language and accessibility. The artistic style is very appealing and child-friendly and the reader is invited to visit the many corners of Australia where history is calling.

 

Teaching Notes for this book...

Walker Books Australia has generously made teaching notes available for this book on their website.

 

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