Australians: Origins To Eureka

The first volume of a unique history of Australia where people are always centre stage, from bestselling author Thomas Keneally who brings to life the vast range of characters who have formed our national story.

Thomas Keneally is one of Australia's most renowned novelists and historians. For novels including Bring Larks and Heroes, Gossip from the Forest, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and Schindler's Ark he has received awards including the Booker Prize, the Miles Franklin Award, the Los Angeles Book Prize and numerous others. His history of Irish convictism The Great Shame was published internationally, and The Commonwealth of Thieves brought our convict origins vividly to life.

About Thomas Keneally Thomas Keneally was born in 1935 and, as well as writing many novels, has shown an increasing interest in producing histories. His history of Irish convictism as a read-out of the problems of Ireland itself was entitled The Great Shame and was published in all the English language markets. The same was true of his later work, The Commonwealth of Thieves, which looked upon the penal origins of Australia in a way which sought to make the reader feel close to the experience of individual Aboriginals, convicts and officials. He has tried to bring the same intimacy and sense of surprise to Australians. As a novelist, his works include Bring Larks and Heroes, The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest, Schindler's Ark, Woman of the Inner Sea, Towards Asmara, The Widow And Her Hero. He has the won the Miles Franklin Award, the Booker Prize, the Los Angeles Book Prize, the Royal Society of Literature