AustLit

Abstract: Eco-Warrior is the story of a how a young Indigenous Australian girl, Skye Bortoli, wouldn't take no for an answer, when she knew the cause was right. At 14, Skye went to Alaska, to Japan, created an online community of young people around the world opposed to the whaling industry, won citizenship awards. And the work continues. 

Abstract: The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert is the remarkable account of the life of Mana, a young Walmajarri girl and her family in the desert country of north-west Australia. A collection of accessible stories that elucidate the rich cultural lives of pre-contact Aboriginal Australians.

Abstract: By turns inspiring, compassionate, witty and outraged, this is above all a very personal account of being Green. It is also a call to action by Australia's most famous Green, and while some facts might be less than cheerful, its message is powerfully hopeful.

Abstract: Geoff Law first rafted the dangerously beautiful Franklin River on a whim. He was inexperienced and in a leaky raft, the weather was treacherous, and his travelling companion was someone he didn't know and who hated the place. But that eventful trip drew him into the historic battle to save the Franklin from being dammed. It was a struggle that brought down a federal government, and one whose ecological reverberations, twenty-five years on, are more commanding than ever. In The River Runs Free Geoff Law gives a lively and witty account of that flagship campaign, weaving it around stories of his wilderness travels. Drawn since childhood to wild places, he is an experienced solo bushwalker, one who can never resist a challenge. He writes powerfully about the connection between humans and landscape, the source of inspiration for his life's work. Travel with him and you never know what's coming next - but you'll arrive exhilarated.

Abstract: In 1972 Lake Pedder in Tasmania's untamed south-west was flooded to build a dam. Wilderness photographer Olegas Truchanas, who had spent years campaigning passionately to save the magnificent fresh water lake, had finally lost. The campaign, the first of its kind in Australia, paved the way for later conservation successes, and turned Truchanas into a Tasmanian legend.

Pedder Dreaming quietly evokes the man, the time and the place. Truchanas, a Lithuanian émigré, is a stalwart adventurer, loving family man, activist, thinker, survivor and artist. Australia on the cusp of environmental awareness is the time, and Lake Pedder and the south-west of Tasmania, the place - wild, pristine, wondrous.

Through those who were closest to him, Truchanas emerges, as does his influence on early conservation in Tasmania, and the small group of landscape artists, the Sunday Group, who admired his passion for the lake and were inspired by it. Stunningly illustrated with original Truchanas photographs from the 1950s, '60s and '70s, and artwork from the Sunday Group, Pedder Dreaming captures the brutality, raw beauty and vulnerability of the Tasmanian wilderness and the legacy of one man who had the vision to fight for it.

Abstract: The Rainbow Warrior was the name of the ship that sailed the world under the banner of Greenpeace, defending the environment. Although the ship was destroyed in an act of sabotage, its spirit lives on.

Abstract: The Murray River of the 1950s was full of fish, and its surrounding landscape covered with vineyards and orchards. As a young boy Ian ranged along its banks and backwaters, catching yabbies, hunting swans and camping along the creeks at night while fishing for pondi, or cod. But if tucker was plentiful, money was not, for there were few employment opportunities for Aboriginal people.Ian's narrative paintings recall the stories of his youth.

Abstract: As Mary Malbunka shares her stories of playing with friends, building cubby houses, climbing trees, collecting sugarbag, digging for honey ants, hunting for lizards, and learning about the seasons, animals and plants, she creates a vivid picture of a truly Australian childhood in which country - ngurra is life itself. Warm and accessible, this is essentially an oral story, and it contains a number of words in Luritja whose meaning is explained in context and also within an extensive glossary. The book also interprets recurring symbols used in traditional Aboriginal painting.

Abstract: Steve Irwin's sudden and tragic death made headline news around the world. Shock and grief followed. The world lost a man of heroic proportions. A man who as the Crocodile Hunter touched and changed lives everywhere. "Wildlife Warrior" charts Steve Irwin's amazing life - from his childhood catching snakes in Victoria, Australia, through to his work in the wilderness and in his zoo. It follows his love story with his wife Terri and his rise to fame. A down-to-earth adventurer with a love of all animals, he was passionate about wildlife conservation, life and his family. The book details his lesser-known work saving endangered habitats and furthering knowledge of crocodile behaviour, as well as his many adventures in the bush and further afield.

Abstract: Marionette-based adaptation of the children's book of the same name.

Bottersnikes and Gumbles are creatures that live in the Australian bush who live amongst rubbish littering the highways.

Abstract: A short play in which Tim and his friends visit the Australian bush and discover the magic of looking after the environment.

Abstract: Cut the Sky is a new dance theatre work that explores the relationship between humanity and the environment from an indigenous point of view at a time of global environmental change.

Abstract: Ten plays inspired by previously published books written by Jill Morris, all of which contain environmental themes and conservation as a central topic.

Abstract: An Anthology of three plays:

They Saw a Thylacine: Out of the darkness, Sarah Hamilton and Justine Campbell conjure the ghost of one of Australia's lost beauties, the thylacine. With all the suspense of a campfire story, these feisty, funny women weave a lyrical tale of adversity and extinction. For this thylacine tracker and this zoo keeper's daughter, it's a quest not just to protect a threatened creature, but themselves. Rebellious and gutsy, these women face life and fight to survive.

Extinction delves deep into the heart of our own morals, choices and tightly-held convictions. Extinction wraps an important conservation message around a unique and personal human story. A wild, rainy night, a twist of fate and an injured tiger quoll bring together a passionate environmentalist and an unlikely Good Samaritan. Both are hell-bent on saving the species, but intentions are murky. What will be compromised in the quest to save the quoll? Nothing is black and white in this intriguing story about love, sex, money and power.

The Honey Bees: As the world's honeybees disappear, a family-owned apiary struggles to keep up with overseas demand. Driven by matriarch Joan's iron will, the business continues to grow. And then Melissa arrives out of the blue. The Honey Bees is a tale of Family and Empire; Action and Consequences; and what happens when the bee finally stings. 

Abstract: The play deals in a humorous vein with the more serious issues of recycling. The paper inhabitants of an office are brought to life and given a voice as to what should occur when they have outlived their conventional usefulness. Percival P. Paper and Cornelia Cardboard give voice to their continued usefulness and, after Percival's initial prejudices are overcome, combine to force the tyrannical Malpractice Mainmongrel of Monopolizing Megalomaniacs to introduce recycling into the 5000 floors of the building, by organising a recycling riot in which the entire building is engulfed in paper.

Abstract: John Marsden and Shaun Tan's haunting picture book tells a story we all know: a story of colonisation, civilisation and progress — a story about displacement, destruction and culture clash. And in that landscape, it tells a story of hope taking root. It's a story for young people, it's a story for old people, it's a story for all of us. Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company have assembled some of Australia's foremost creative talents to collaborate on a new opera for children and families. Gabriela Tylesova's kooky sets and costumes realise Tan's pictures in all of their mystical wonder, while Lally Katz has turned Marsden's spare poetry into an enchanting libretto. To write the score, Kate Miller Heidke: the butterfly-voiced, classically-trained indie-pop singer who is as at home on the charts as she is performing at the Met. As well as composing The Rabbits, Kate will perform in this production.

A dramatic / operation adaptation of John Marsden's and Shaun Tan's The Rabbits.

Abstract: Too Hot To Handle is a political cabaret about climate change for 8-12 year olds using humour to diffuse fear and music to inspire the next generation to make a difference. 

Performed 2008 by the Jigsaw Theatre Company, Canberra.

Abstract: Developed with the help of sponsorship from United Water in 2002, this play toured South Australia and New Zealand in 2002 with repeat performances in 2003 for the International Year of Fresh Water in May/June followed by return seasons in Science Week in August and Water Week in October, South Australia.

Abstract: Adventure story about a boy and his father who is a scientist, who fly to Fiji to investigate a parasitic starfish on the reef. They unknowingly get caught up with a national mining syndicate which is deliberately seeding the reef with the parasitic starfish and trying to destroy environmental objections to their mining.

Abstract: In a desperate bid to rescue a whale stranded on a beach, Dot and Neptune, the dolphin, hunt the ocean depths searching for a wise old octopus called The Oracle who knows how to save whales.

See other works by Yoram Gross.

Abstract: The magical inhabitants of FernGully rainforest are under threat from logging and from Hexxus, an anthropomorphic polluting force.

This film is based on the book FernGully by Diana Young.

See also the sequel - FernGully II : The Magical Rescue

Abstract: Mumble, a young penguin living in the Antarctic, is the only penguin in his colony who is unable to sing: all other penguins attract mates by singing their 'heartsong'. But Mumble can do something that no other penguin has ever been able to do: tap dance. And with this talent, he can not only attract his soulmate but also stop the over-fishing that is endangering the penguin population.

This film includes themes of pollution, food shortages caused by over-fishing. It is referred to by the penguins as "the great calamity".

Abstract: A chicken farmer uses his hapless sheepdog to save a colony of penguins from foxes, and in the process keeps his family together.

The colony of penguins in this story is threatened by foxes, and the species is in decline. A family and their dog, named Oddball, find a solution. See also the award-winning picture book Chooks in Dinner Suits : A Tale of Big Dogs and Little Penguins , which is based on the same true story.

Abstract: A young boy befriends an Aboriginal man and a pelican. One day he is forced to choose between his beloved companions and the often cruel outside world.

Based on the book of the same name by Colin Thiele .

Abstract: The series tells of Blinky Bill and his friends' efforts to rebuild the village in Greenpatch following its destruction by humans. The main characters, Blinky Bill, Nutsy, Splodge, Flap and Marcia are reunited after the destruction of their village, have chosen a site for their new home and are cautiously settling in. But the story is about more than rebuilding their demolished homes. It is also about how these animals re-establish themselves as a community and how they come to terms with their new neighbours, the Dingoes.

Many episodes of this animated television series are about conservation and other environmental issues. The premise of the story, habitat destruction, informs most episodes.

Abstract: The series is based on a national park ranger, her two children, their friends and how they form the Bush Patrol to help protect the park and its native inhabitants. There's plenty of adventure and fun featuring Australia's unique flora and fauna and modern family relationships.

Abstract: Flipper & Lopaka is an animated children's series loosely based on the original 1964 Flipper TV series. In this variant, Flipper saves a young boy, Lopaka, from drowning, and the two of them become friends.

See in particular, series two: "In series two (2001) Flipper and Lopaka have a new challenge to face when their idyllic island world is discovered by a scientist and her son searching for the lost city of Quetzo. They threaten its environment, its inhabitants and its very existence." (Australian Screen. See more here.)

Abstract: Ocean Girl follows the adventures of Jason and Brett Bates, who move with their mother (a reasearch scientist studying whale song) to an underwater research station near Port Douglas. There, they accidentally meet Neri, a young girl with super-human strength, the ability to breathe underwater, and an affinity for communicating with whales. As the series progresses through four seasons, the Bateses (and the audience) learn more about Neri's arrival on Earth, her home planet, and the ecosystem of their own home planet.

Ocean Girl, one of the earliest productions to come out of Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, is creator Jonathan Shiff's first science-fiction program; his name has subsequently become synonymous with children's science-fiction and fantasy television programs, through such shows as Cybergirl and H2O.

Ocean Girl is ecological science fiction, in that it uses the genre of science fiction to explore the consequences of exploiting Earth's resources. For example, as the program progresses, Dr Dianne Bates (mother of protagonists Jason and Brett) shifts from her early role as cetologist to a more active role as environmental protectionist, in response to the increasing threat of building large underwater constructions in the delicate ecosystem around ORCA. Similarly, season four shows the devastating effects of a 'Red Virus' on the oceans of Neri's home world.

Abstract: Cheeky dogs, slippery snakes and crocodiles with great big smiles are some of the characters who join Anna the Goanna in this illustrated poem. The author and illustrator take us into childrens' daily adventures and family traditions as they camp under the stars, go hunting for tucker, and play footy in the dust.

Abstract: A collection of poems by William Hart-Smith celebrating all things nature.

Abstract: "For the not so pedantic, the new millennium is now upon us.

It is a time to reflect upon lesson learned

And those still to be learned.

A time to be thankful for "ordinary, everyday miracles"

Such as a surprise, clean air and water and

The wonderful myriad of life that we share this planet with.

These things are rapidly disapplearing

Even the sunrise

In the smog bound metropolis,

Has become unfamiliar - a stranger

All of these ordinary things

Are the very stuff upon which the human species

Ultimately depends.

Now, more than ever

At the beginning of the 21st century

The voices for the environment need to be heard. 

The book contains some of those voices." 

This book contains poems about the natural environment, conservation, environmental destruction and love of the natural world. For older readers.

Abstract: This anthology introduces the poems of 28 new and emerging Indigenous poets and artists in the public arena, to enter the dialogue of Australian poetry, and to join established Indigenous Australian poets and artists. 

This collection includes a number of poems about the land, including environmental destruction.

Abstract: The Dreaming Tree poems celebrate the joy and freedom of being a child in the Australian landscape.

Many of the poems have an environmental theme, the most overt being 'When the oil runs out it'll be okay'. This poem is about humans changing their habits to protect the environment.

Abstract:

'Squawk! Snuffle! Bark! Roar!

Feathers, fins, scales, claws.

Running, hopping, crawling, soaring.'

All creatures are celebrated in this collection by Lorraine Marwood.

A collection of poems about animals for upper primary readers. A useful collection for looking at animals in different ways.

Abstract: This little book is the work of two people who have shared the privilege of leading lives deeply involved with animals of various kinds. Both have long been fascinated by our native mammals and concerned, in their separate ways, to evoke similar feelings in others. The Incomplete Book of Australian Mammals is a collection of the their favourite mammals, whether by reason of scientific interest, artistic appeal or simply for the fun of playing with the name. In both verse and picture they offer you an incomplete account, but one which aims to share whatever it is of the animals' essence that excites their interest, in the hope that it will not only amuse you, but arose your curiosity.

Abstract: Annaliese Porter captures the Australian in all its moods in this moving ballad about the country's vast interior. Written when she was only eight years old, The Outback brings together a gifted young writer and one of Australia's most celebrated artists, Bronwyn Bancroft.

Abstract: 'The sound of heat,

a roar like a sawmill

hungry for wood

that day,

that forty-five degree day'

From the everyday routine of milking the cows, and the excitement of children learning the rules of the rodeo; to the tragedy of drought and the terror of the Black Saturday bushfires - snapshots of rural Australia are brought to life in this new collection by award-winning poet, Lorraine Marwood.

See in particular: Drought Survivors (p.77); Black Saturday (p.78-79); Target (p.31-33).

Abstract: The winning and commended poems from the 2003 Taronga Poetry Prize Competition. 

Many poems have environmental, particularly animal conservation, themes.

Abstract: Australia's leading prize for young poets showcased in a collection of fresh poems from our freshest minds. This year's best poetry radiates wit and wisdom, making this anthology a must for poetry lovers of all ages.

This volume contains poems of all subjects, but contains many about the environment, particularly environmental destruction, loss of wildlife, farming and drought; as well as poems honouring the beauty of places. See in particular the following poems:

As the Rain Came Down; The Life of a Farmer; Are Worlds Recycled; Queenstown; The Log Truck Driver; Guilt; The Murray Drain; The Roll Call of Mammals Lost; Tammar Wallabies at Vivonne Bay; Culling Koalas on KI; The Turtle; Phantasma Tyger; The Remnant; Joeys; Forest Minus Koalas.

Abstract: The winning and commended poets from the 2005 Taronga Foundation Poetry Prize (TFPP) showcase their amazing talents in this third volume of Poems by Young Australians. The TFPP seeks to inspire a love of nature and poetry. When the two come together the results are spectacular, as this volume clearly demonstrates.

Abstract: Here is a collection to share and enjoy - the very best poems for young people, by young people. This anthology of winning and commended poems from the 2008 Taronga Foundation Poetry Prize is both a delight and a revelation, showcasing the remarkable talent of poets from 8 to 19 years of age. The brainchild of bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive, the Taronga Foundation Poetry Prize was launched in 2003 - a chance for young people to get creative, get writing and get published. The competition brings together two themes that have been linked throughout history - poetry and nature.