Australian Backyard Explorer

by Peter Macinnis

Published by the National Library of Australia. Learn how to be an explorer in your own backyard! Would you know how to find water and food, collect plants, make a shelter and stay alive if you were out in the bush? As you delve into this book full of the adventures of the European explorers of Australia, you will experience with them their many challenges, such as finding their way, mapping an area, trapping animals and coping with drought. All the old favourites are here James Cook, John Oxley, Hamilton Hume, Edward John Eyre, Ludwig Leichhardt, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, and others who are less well-known. Theirs are stories not only of tragedy, conflict and death, but also of loyalty, amazing perseverance and wonder over the new animals and landscapes they encountered. Australian Backyard Explorer is filled with paintings, photos, drawings, journal extracts, interesting fact boxes and practical projects to do in your backyard.

Genres: Nonfiction, Australia, Science

200 pages

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

During 2021, Macinnis has republished revised versions of all of his out-of-print books. The website listed above tells you how to get them. In 2024, he published The Lesser of Two Eagles, where you can learn that in an auction, you get something for nodding

Happy grandfather, travels, writes for adults and youngsters, mainly history or science. Published by the National Library of Australia (Australian Backyard Naturalist May 2012, another book Curious Minds October, 2012, Big Book of Australian History, 2013, 2015, 2017). Talks on ABC (RN), translated into 7 other languages. Winner of the W.A. Premier's Prize for Children's Literature 2013 and other awards.

Writing blog Old Writer on the Block. Google it and say g'day!

McManly on most social media. His Kokoda Track: 101 Days was a 2008 Eve Pownall Honour Book in the CBCA 'Book of the Year' awards. His Australian Backyard Explorer was the 2010 Eve Pownall Book of the Year (listed in 2011, in the prestigious international White Ravens list of children's literature). In 2012, his Australian Backyard Naturalist won a Whitley award, and the WA Premier's Children's Literature Award in 2013. After a few busy years doing other stuff, his Australian Backyard Earth Scientist won the long-winded Educational Publishing Awards Australia prize for best "Student Resource – Arts/Science/Humanities/Social Sciences/Technologies/Health and Physical Education/Languages ".

He has had half a dozen titles rated as "Notable Books" by the Children's Book Council of Australia: that's equivalent to short listing.

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting and inspiring book.
What a fun way to learn about history, with projects, unusual tidbits of information to help curious minds get creative. An adventure of its own with
Fantastic visuals, easy to see why it is award winning.

[Oznasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes history, geography, science and lots of interesting pictures about the exploration of Australia.

[Jaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and well designed book packed with information on exploration in Australia. This will appeal to more mature readers who want to find out more about the world.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! A combination of history and adventure advice with tips and tricks so you can try exploring yourself. It looks at explorers in Australia's history, signposting expeditions, finding food and water, collecting plants and animals, keeping journals and notebooks, dealing with disasters, coping with weather, making tents, measuring distance, mapping, navigating by the stars... and then gives a run down on contemporary explorers. As much as I loved The Dangerous Book for Boys and the The Daring Book for Girls, this takes it to a whole new level!

[Mandabplus3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every Aussie kid. We liked this enough to buy it. We have already bought the Authors other book and eagerly await more gems in the same format.