Collection: Junior Non-Fiction History

Free settlers began arriving soon after the First Fleet, however, the real flow of immigrants began in the early 19th century. Some were wealthy, most were impoverished farmers escaping problems in Europe. They drove the development of agriculuture, and later, mining. Colonies such as South Austr...

In 1956 Melbourne hosted the Summer Olympic Games. Student John Wing was so proud of his country, one of the friendliest places on earth. But when world tensions dominated the news, John wrote an urgent letter suggesting how to change the Closing Ceremony to bring all nations together as one.

Meet the convicts behind Australia's most rascally, dastardly prison escapes. Gifted geniuses or total goofballs? You be the judge! Featuring Moondyne Joe, Mary Bryant, and a guy who put on a kangaroo skin and hopped away (literally), this fun and engaging collection brings our country's early co...

"Step back in time, and discover the lives gladiators led through labeled graphics, fun facts, and age-appropriate text that separates fact from fiction while keeping readers interested and engaged"--

By the mid 1800s, Australia had thrown off the shackles of its penal past and was becoming a prosperous place where clever businessmen and entrepreneurs could seek their fortunes. However, the incident that most changed Australia's fortunes was the discovery of gold from 1851.

Telling BITS of history as they really were! Gold fever hit Australia in the 1850s ... and it was the start of a wild, crazy hunt that saw people from all over the world come to try their luck. A few people might have dug up a fortune, but what most diggers dug was latrines. It turns out that the...

Gold Fever is what makes ordinary people act like completely crazy people. And there are plenty of examples of that in this book! We all know that gold makes people act a bit crazy - but imagine just how crazy things would be if the 19th Century Australian colonies were all run by different count...