Library & Innovation Centre

Every culture has its heroes. This is a collection of Indigenous hereos.

Superbly illustrated, this sumptuous book invites children of all ages to closely observe the birds, plants and animals that inhabit the unique environment of Kakadu, through an understanding of the six Aboriginal seasons and their characteristics.

Alice Bilari Smith lived in the Pilbara, on stations and in the bush, on government reserves and in towns. Narrowly avoiding removal from her family by 'the Welfare', life on the stations taught her to cook and launder, sew and clean, shoe horses, chop wood and milk cows. As a young married woman she added mustering, dingo scalping, shearers' assistant and sheep-yard building to her skills. Alice also grew up in the ways of her country, hunting, cooking and building in the traditional manner. As well as a large family of her own, Alice played an active role in caring for other Aboriginal children and initiated the establishment of a Homemakers Centre in Roebourne. This is Alice's insightful and inspiring story - the story of a life that is remarkable and yet typical of Australia's strong country women.

First peoples are the original people of a region. They have developed their own culture, traditions, laws and ways of life over thousands of years.vClick here for a presentation on the First Peoples series and its featuresThree groups of first peoples of Oceania are introduced in this intriguing book - Aboriginal Peoples of Australia, Papuans of New Guinea, Maori of New Zealand First-hand accounts from elders in these cultures are presented and extracts from the UN Declaration of the Right

A young Aboriginal girl is taken from the north of Australia and sent to an institution in the distant south. There, she slowly makes a new life for herself and, in the face of tragedy, finds strength in new friendships. Poignantly told from the child's perspective, Sister Heart affirms the power of family and kinship.

Based on a popular Australian song that tells of the time when it was illegal for whites and Aborigines to marry, and how such relationships were hidden by Aboriginal women dressing as boys. This book is a tribute to Aboriginal stockwomen, in the hope that one day their huge contribution to the Australian pastoral industry might be recognized.

Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating and storing - behaviors inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient lie. Almost all the evidence comes from the records and diaries of the Australian explorers, impeccable sources.

'Challenges for Indigenous Australia' explores the debate about the issues affecting indigenous communities. What challenges do indigenous Australians face today? Why are these challenges an issue for all Australians? And how can these challenges be addressed? Ages 10+.

Illustrated with traditional Aboriginal dot form and contemporary images, this is a poetry collection from an elder of the Wunambal people. The poems are juxtaposed with the story of the author's life. The illustrator is a writer and artist of other children's books and has worked in Aboriginal education.

Tourism Australia statistics show that many overseas tourists, as well as Australians, are keen to learn more about Australia's first peoples. And while the Indigenous tourism industry continues to grow, no comprehensive travel guide is currently available. Marcia Langton: Welcome to Country is a curated guidebook to Indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. In its pages, author Professor Marcia Langton offers fascinating insights into Indigenous languages and customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, and cultural awareness and etiquette for visitors. There is also a directory of Indigenous tourism experiences, organised by state or territory, covering galleries and festivals, national parks and museums, communities that are open to visitors, as well as tours and performances. This book is essential for anyone travelling around Australia who wants to learn more about the culture that has thrived here for over 50,000 years. It also offers the chance to enjoy tourism opportunities that will show you a different side of this fascinating country - one that remains dynamic, and is filled with openness and diversity.