The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia by Bill Gammage

Author:
Bill Gammage

Publisher:
Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, 2011 (2012 reprint)

Format:
Softcover

Pages:
xxiii, 434 pages, colour illustrations

ISBN:
9781743311325

Condition:
Very Good – light shelf wear only

Description:
In The Biggest Estate on Earth, historian Bill Gammage presents a compelling and transformative view of how Aboriginal Australians managed the land prior to European settlement. Through extensive research and a deep understanding of the Australian landscape, Gammage reveals that Aboriginal people across the continent used sophisticated, large-scale agricultural practices to manage ecosystems and ensure sustainability. Challenging the myth of an untouched wilderness, this award-winning book reshapes our understanding of Australia’s pre-colonial history.

Includes extensive references (pp. 379–415) and an index. Winner of the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Australian History.

Why You’ll Love It:
This ground breaking work is essential reading for anyone interested in Australia’s environmental history, Indigenous knowledge systems, or land stewardship. Gammage’s richly illustrated and meticulously researched book brings new respect to the ingenuity of Aboriginal land management practices.