This book tells of the earliest contact between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Malaysian and European people around the coastline of Australia. Based on the premise that we can only understand the present by examining our past, it records the early seafarers' and settlers' first impressions of the land and the people they encountered, and recounts the reactions of the Aboriginal people to these meetings.
These are stories of extraordinary co-existence, and of tragic brutality and exploitation. There are tales of successful Aboriginal resistance to European settlement and bleak dispossession. The book looks at the history of our nation with compelling and sometimes shocking candour. The strong narrative paintings have a naivety that belies their ability to disturb.
The Children's Book Council Of Australia - Short-Listed Book
