About Australia carries a wide selection of books about a whole range of aspects of Australia. We only select and stock publications that we, as Aussies, consider to convey true reflections of Australian culture, nature and defining features. From children's activity books to historical books, travel guides, books on wildlife, gift books, or books on specific regions or cities, you are bound to find something to suit your interests. Scroll down the page to read through the different categories of publications, or click on a category in this menu to jump straight to it:

Australian Landscapes | Australian Wildlife | Australian Culture | Children's Books | Facts & Figures | States & Regions | Cities & Towns | Travel Guides & Atlases | Souvenir & Gift Books | Cookbooks | Gardening Books

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Whether it is the lush tropical north's rainforests, the crystal blue waters and serene islands of the Queensland coast, or the red sands of the Australian Outback, Australian landscapes are fascinating, beautiful and diverse. In Les Hiddens' hardback, "Bush Tucker Man", he explores wild Australia, uncovering the 'bush tuckers' (foods of the Outback), the spectacular landscape (shown with brilliant photographs and maps) and the people who make northern Australia so unique. Allan Fox's "National Parks" describes and illustrates, with over 300 photographs, some of Australia's major national parks and reserves, plus their wildlife, conservation projects and much more. "Rainforests" concentrates on the beauty of Australian tropical rainforests, and is filled with superb full page photographs taken by Steve Parish and maps to give you a better sense of their location.

Australia has a spectrum of relatively unique wildlife, largely in part to it's geographic seclusion from the rest of the world. "Australia's Most Dangerous" by Australian Geographic is a concise, accessible field guide to our remarkable but sometimes lethal snakes, spiders, insects and marine creatures, and includes up-to-date first-aid advice. Each chapter is written by a recognised expert, describing aspects of the animals' habits and much more. Steve Parish's "Signature Collection: Birds Of Australia" is a portrait gallery of some of the most fantastic and beautiful of these feathered gems and the land in which they live; from parrots, to birds of prey, to pelicans and penguins. Another of Steve Parish's publications, "Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife", a part of his "Discover and Learn" series of books, introduces the principles of taxonomy (the science of classifying types of animals and plants) and gives a simple review of Australia`s geological history. It is broken into sections on Mammals, Birds, Frogs, Reptiles, Insects and Spiders, Marine Life and Australia`s Fishes, and is illustrated with Parish's famous extraordinary photography.

Australia culture comes in two main flavours, the Indigenous Australian cultures and the much younger Aussie culture, spawned from European migrants over the last 215 years. The former have thousands of years of history behind them, whilst the latter is more well known to represent Australians today, through our colloquialisms, attitudes, humour and modern way of life. "Aboriginal Australia", a Lonely Planet publication, is a hugely informative resource on all things Aboriginal. It is a guide to Indigenous Australia that will help you find organised tours, festivals, art galleries, films, literature and more. It also gives you an overview of the main issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people today, and features full-colour sections on Indigenous art and many detailed maps. The "Australian Phrase Book" is Lonely Planet's handbook on Australian phrases and culture, explaining the way we speak, the history behind it, and countless avenues of topics on how Australians live. "The Penguin Book of: Australian Jokes" is a 482 page ride of side-splitting, good ol' rough Aussie humour. As per the synopsis: "Enter these pages at your peril, knowing that every time you split your sides you're having a laugh at someone else's expense!" Most jokes are told in a 'story-like' fashion and are a paragraph or two long. Other popular items in this category are the short "Didgeridoo Information Book" and the short "Boomerang Information Book".

The purpose of children's books is to make learning fun and interesting for kids, but at the same time teach them valuable and relevant information. Yet another series by Steve Parish, called "Nature Kids", aims to make learning a pleasure for children and includes "Nature Kids: Australian Wildlife", "Nature Kids: Frogs & Reptiles", and "Nature Kids: Kangaroos & Wallabies". Each book is filled with large glossy photos and interesting, easy to read information. Parish's "Activity Book" series is similar in intention but is full of stickers, puzzles, games and other educational activities in addition to Parish's famous photography and facts. Activity Books range from "Australian Bushlands" to "Australian Sea Shore", and more.

These books bring together a whole range of information on Australia, summarised into interesting and well illustrated sections. The "Discover & Learn" series published by Steve Parish contains fact books on Australia in general, as well as other Australian subjects. "1000 Questions and Answers about Australia" covers land, people, plants, animals, culture and heritage. More specific facts books include: "Amazing Facts: Australian Mammals", "Amazing Facts: Australian Landscapes", "Amazing Facts: Frogs & Reptiles", each of which go into great detail and are accompanied by remarkable photography of their given topic.

Australia has 6 states and 2 territories, ranging from the cold southern island state of Tasmania, with rolling hills and beautiful greenery, to the tropical north of the state of Queensland, covered in rainforest and outlined by gorgeous beaches and coral reefs. The "Little Australian Gift Book" series of gift books from Steve Parish encompasses a wide range of small, 32 page, well-illustrated information handbooks on different states or regions; including: "Little Australian Gift Book: Kakadu" and "Little Australian Gift Book: Uluru". Steve Parish's "Souvenir of.." series provides a more substantial amount of information on certain states or regions, in mid-sized glossy books containing bigger photos and broader, more detailed descriptions of the relative regions and their distinct features. See: "A Souvenir of: The Great Barrier Reef", "A Souvenir of Queensland" and "A Souvenir of Western Australia".

Mostly located on our east coast, Australian cities vary greatly in climate, landscape, size, people, and abundance of foreign cultures. Melbourne is known for it's Greek community and great food, whereas the Gold Coast is known for it's theme parks and it's surf. Each city and town has a different combination of influences that set it apart from the rest, and this range of books explain and illustrate these defining aspects. The "Little Australian Gift Book" series of gift books from Steve Parish encompasses a wide range of small, 32 page, well-illustrated information handbooks on different cities and towns; including: "Little Australian Gift Book: Brisbane" and "Little Australian Gift Book: Perth". Steve Parish's "Souvenir of.." series provides a more substantial amount of information on certain cities and towns, in mid-sized glossy books containing bigger photos and broader, more detailed descriptions of the relative cities and their distinct features. See: "A Souvenir of: The Gold Coast", "A Souvenir of Sydney" and "A Souvenir of Melbourne", and many more in this category.

Although Australia's urban population is relatively sparse, by no means does that mean there is little to see or do in it's rural areas! Road-tripping is a great way to see Australia's coasts, national parks, outback, small towns, and all the countless things that make up Australia's great outdoors. These books are geared towards people interested in touring Australia by their own schedule and itinerary. Steve Parish's "Australian Discovery Atlas" is the perfect reference for navigating around Australia. This 9" X 14" 104 page atlas covers the whole continent and has detailed maps of more concentrated areas and regions, especially all major cities. 4WD maps, distance charts, a full index and much more are included. Lonely Planet's "Australia Guide" is a comprehensive 1000+ page guide book to all of Australia. The huge amount of information it contains is bound to cover what you want to know, whether it be entertainment - from pubs to the opera; accommodation - from 5 star hotels to camping in the bush; nature - wildlife, the outback, national parks; or culture... the possibilities are almost endless. It includes over 150 maps and full features on Aboriginal art, native animals & plants, the Olympic Games and much more.

There are many avenues of Australian culture as seen here in our extensive range of books, so picking one for a gift can be a tough choice. This selection of publications give well rounded insights into Australia and make great gifts. "Discover Australia" by Steve Parish is the perfect 'coffee table' book on Australia. Filled with his trademark of brilliant photography of famous sites and landscapes, each photo is accompanied by a small paragraph to explain where and why the photo was taken, in addition to any related facts. "The Complete Story: Australia" is a massive resource on Australian history, containing extensive coverage of Indigenous and European history, culture, and natural history, plus physical and political maps of territories and each state, road maps, touring maps of wine regions and much more. Over 2000 colour photos and even a bonus CD-ROM (for this edition), in a fully indexed, 912 page hard cover. Steve Parish's "Souvenir Of Australia" is another volume in his "Souvenir of.." series which also covers states, regions, cities & towns. As expected of any of Parish's books, it presents superb Australian photography as well as related detailed and informative text. Also includes landmark maps.

Bill Granger's "Sydney Food" cookbook is inspired by a refreshing, relaxed and enthusiastic style of cuisine typical to Sydney and largely in appreciation for the vast array of fresh seafood, meats and vegetables available in the area. Split into sections of breakfast, lunch, dinner and Bill's favorites, this 190+ page soft cover contains many innovative recipes, some inspired by multicultural Sydney, and all complimented with lively photos.

Australian native plants present a vast array of spectacular flowers and types of foliage. Each has evolved to suit its specific habitat, and if grown in similar conditions, is easy to maintain. "A Growers Guide to Australian Natives" is part of the Better Homes and Gardens series, and covers 88 of the most popular native plants, giving full details of where and how to grow each one for the best results. There are plants to suit every climate present in Australia, and in this book you'll be able to choose beautiful, easy-care plants for your native garden. Sections include trees, climbers, flowering shrubs, ferns, palms and ground-covers, and are illustrated very well, along with all the information on individual natives that a gardener needs.