Born: Established: 9 Feb 1956 ;
Gender:
Male
Cathcart is married to playwright Hannie Rayson (q.v.).
Michael Cathcart is a historian, storyteller and broadcaster who has worked at The Australian Centre, University of Melbourne. In addition to his work in the field of history, Cathcart has a keen interest in the theatre. He has been an advisor to Malthouse Theatre and has directed several plays. From 2012, Cathcart presented ABC Radio National's weekday Books and Arts program.
'The Water Dreamers is the story of the settlement of Australia: of the scarcity of water and the need to fill an imagined silence with the sounds of civilisation. From the moment the First Fleeters stepped ashore, water determined progress. The Tank Stream that flowed through what is now the Sydney CBD provided fresh water until settlers and their livestock fouled it. Then water from a nearby swamp was piped into the growing settlement. When it ran dry sights were set further afield.
'The Water Dreamers is an illuminating account of the ways people have imagined and interpreted Australia while struggling to understand this continent and striving to conquer its obstacles. It's an environmental history and a cultural history with an unmistakable sense of how, today, we are part of that continuing story.' (From the publisher's website.)