Over 350 pages of practical advice, with more than 250 photographs and illustrations in colour and black and white of more than 200 fruits, nuts and berries. Contains snippets of folklore, history, quirky hints and culinary tips.
Sometimes kept as family pets, flying foxes are much beloved in Australia. This work covers issues such as descriptions of Australia's 13 species of flying foxes and blossom bats, their physiology of flight, ecology, diet and behaviour, and management of populations.
An ancient ocean roars under the red dirt. Hush. Be still for just a moment. Hear its thunder-ing waves crashing on unseen shores. Spanning four generations, with a focus on the 1960s and 70s, an era of rapid social change and burgeoning Aboriginal rights, Where the Fruit Falls is a re-imagining of the epic Australian novel. Brigid Devlin, a young Aboriginal woman, and her twin daughters navigate a troubled nation of First Peoples, settlers and refugees — all determined to shape a future on stolen land. Leaving the sanctuary of her family's apple orchard, Brigid sets off with no destination and a willy wagtail for company. As she moves through an everchanging landscape, Brigid unravels family secrets to recover what she'd lost — by facing the past, she finally accepts herself. Her twin daughters continue her journey with their own search for self-acceptance, truth and justice. 'In poetic and evocative storytelling, this writing celebrates the agency of Indigenous women to traverse ever-present landscapes of colonisation and intergenerational trauma. Country has an omniscient presence in their story lines, guiding the women across vivid desert and coastal landscapes. Where the Fruit Falls recognises both the open wounds of living histo-ries of colonisation and the healing power of belonging to Country.' — 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award judges 'This evocative family saga celebrates the strength and resilience of First Nation women, while touching on deeply traumatic aspects of Australian history. Threads of magic realism shimmer throughout the story, offering a deeper understanding of reality and challenging the reader to imagine a kinder, more just, more humane world.' — Sally Morgan
This beautifully illustrated field guide covers 504 of the most common fruiting plants found in Australia's eastern rainforests, as well as a few species that are rare in the wild but generally well-known. These spectacular plants can be seen from Cape York to Victoria, with some species also found in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and overseas. Rainforest fruits are often beautifully coloured, and in this guide the species are arranged by colour of ripe fruit, then by size and form. Five broad categories – pink to purple, blue to black, yellow and orange to red, green to brown, and white – allow people with even limited botanical knowledge to identify rainforest fruits. Each species description is accompanied by a leaf drawing, a distribution map, and diagnostic characters to help the reader distinguish similar species. Australian Rainforest Fruits includes stunning artwork by Australia’s leading natural history artist, William T Cooper. It will be sought not just by bushwalkers and natural history enthusiasts, but also by those who admire botanical art at its best.
This new, totally updated fruit and vegetable book has the most detailed guidance on how to grow vegetables and fruit successfully in your own back yard. It is written by Australians for Australian conditions. Based on 30 years of experience at the Digger's Club gardens, it covers over 240 vegetables and herbs, and 188 fruits, nuts and berries. This is a guide for all climates and even the tiniest garden spaces. It explains how to make compost, and shows how you can save $1,000's growing your own produce.
The definitive sourcebook for growing, harvesting and cooking vegetables in Australia This comprehensive work covers over 90 vegetables, from familiar favourites such as lettuce and carrots to more exotic ones like doodhi and wasabi, helping you out no matter what vegetable you want to grow. A true sourcebook for the Australian gardener, it contains practical advice on how to grow top-quality plants from propagation to harvest, wherever you grow them – in containers, in grow bags or under glass. There’s information on controlling pests, crop rotation and companion planting, and the pages are brimming with ideas for ‘green’ gardening, soil improvement and weed control. With detailed notes on nutritional value and recommended varieties for culinary use, this book will also travel with you from the garden into the kitchen. Each temptingly illustrated entry is accompanied by mouth-watering recipes, including a selection from Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. This is the essential guide to successful vegetable gardening and cooking for all, from beginners to experienced gardeners.
A captivating true story that will speak to generations of Australians, from the author of Mezza Italiana. 'Nonno Anni gives me a nudge. "You know, when I first came to Australia, I knew that my life would change forever."' Leaving the small village of Fossa in Italy in 1939 to meet a father he barely remembered in a place that was far from everything he knew, fifteen-year-old Annibale Boccabella arrived in Australia determined to make a go of it. It was a time when everything was changing and anything seemed possible. Life was tough but you could still chase your dreams. More than 70 years later, in 2011, Zoe Boccabella and her family hurriedly try to save the treasured belongings of Annibale and his wife Francesca-Zoe's grandparents-from the rising waters of the Brisbane River. When Zoe sees the sign from their old fruit shop and milk bar about to disappear beneath the floodwater, this triggers in her a realisation that while she has long looked to Italy to discover her migrant heritage, much of it happened here in Australia. In Joe's Fruit Shop and Milk Bar, Zoe artfully weaves her own experiences with those of her grandparents, taking us on a journey from Abruzzo and Calabria in Italy to Australian sugar cane fields, internment camps, Greek cafes, and the fruit shop and milk bar that was the focus of a family's hopes and dreams for the future. With memorable, beautifully portrayed characters, evocative writing and a sweeping tale that reflects the experience of so many Australians, this is a story that will touch your heart and remind you of the important things in life. Praise for Zoe Boccabella's Mezza Italiana 'A charming and thoughtful writer' Frances Mayes 'there is much to love about this book. the wonderful characters, her fabulous Italian grandfather who takes his love for all Italian traditions to Brisbane ... her boyfriend who becomes the poster boy for all things Italian, and the people of Fossa, a village tucked away in the mountains of Abruzzo... I can highly recommend Mezza Italiana on a cold day when you are dreaming of Italy... ' Carla Coulson 'this is one of those books that come along every so often that resonates with so many. Whether you have a migrant background or just love reading about Italy, this is a book with heart and soul, humour and sincerity. A wonderful read.' Cate, ABC Shops website