Mary’s Australia - How Mary MacKillop Changed Australia

Our Stories: Mary’s Australia - How Mary MacKillop Changed Australia by Pamela Freeman (Walker Books)

PB RRP $17.95

ISBN 9781922077905

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Our Stories, the wonderful series published through black dog books, presents the life of Mary Mackillop beginning from the time she was seven years old, until 1909 when she died. It is juxtaposed with the history of Melbourne’s settlement; its progression, growth through population expansion, social and economic change, and the effect of white settlement on the Indigenous people.

Learning about Mary’s life, her strength, determination and her unshakable faith, is inspiring. She worked very hard as a child to support her family when for years her father was unable to get work. As a young woman, all she wanted was to join the order of nuns in Penola, but took up the option to ‘bring education to the far-flung towns of the Australian bush.’ It would take years for her to fulfil her dream of becoming a nun.

Mary Mackillop became the founder and head of the order of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, the first religious institute to be founded by an Australian.

This 32 page book rich in Australian history and culture, is a superb resource for educational and reference purposes. Its images from the SLV, the wonderful  presentation, illustrations in pen and ink, and colour fitted beautifully into the text, present an expansive history of our country from the goldfields to Federation and beyond. It includes a Glossary and Index of word definitions and references at the end.  

Child Convicts

Our Stories: Child Convicts by Janette Brennan (Walker Books)
PB RRP $ 16.95
ISBN 9781742032238
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

A great deal of Australian history from the convict era and the discovery of Australia is portrayed in this title. But it is the heart-breaking, tales about children, especially those from poor families, that is the most moving.

Mechanisation caused many people to lose their jobs in Britain in the 1700s. They moved to the overcrowded cities to find work, but it was ‘steal or starve’. Death tracked the poor everywhere as the death penalty applied at times for stealing even the slightest thing. It is reported that children as young as four were forced to work or steal to stay alive, until Botany Bay’s penal colony absorbed most of the prisoners from the overcrowded jails and floating prisons.

This book contains history before and after the settlement of the penal colony and focuses on the many child convicts, their crimes and punishment, and how their lives evolved. It also touches on the governors and their roles, and the great changes that Australia underwent during that era up to the ‘end of transportation’.

Our Stories is a marvellous series and one from which a great deal can be learnt about our early development as a nation. They are books of only 32 pages but which present so much valuable information in a minimalistic and easily absorbed way. There are archival pictures throughout to accompany the text and give it visual support.

Australian Flags and Emblems

Our Stories: Australian Flags and Emblems by Karen Tayleur (Walker Books)
PB RRP $17.95
ISBN 9781742031095
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Vexillology is the study of flags, and comes from the Latin word vexillum meaning banner or flag. What a wonderful word to describe this fascinating subject.

This offering from the outstanding Our Stories series covers a great deal of information surrounding Flags and Emblems, Coats of Arms and Heraldry. The flag section represents the Australian flag, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Union Jack Flags, all the Australian States’ flags, plus how and why the flags were chosen.

For the Coats of Arms of each flag there is a complete breakdown of the six parts, Crest, Wreath or Torse, Supporter, Compartment, Motto or Name, and Shield or Escutcheon. There is also brief and interesting history of the settlement of each State.

The simple and clear design of the entire book is geared towards easy learning and understanding about the history of our country, its Flags and Emblems. It’s a gold mine of information with wonderful images to complement the excellent text.

At the end, there is a list of eight other Australian flags such as the Defence Force, the Eureka Flag etc., accompanied by information, plus a section concerning Flag Protocol, winding up with a valuable Glossary and Index.

Our Stories: Eureka Stockade

Our Stories: Eureka Stockade by Marion Littlejohn (Walker Books)
PB RRP $17.95
ISBN 9781922179111
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The rich history of the Eureka Stockade and the revolt of the miners for their rights was a battle that lasted twenty minutes but marked ‘the birth of democracy in Australia’.

Welcome to another outstanding history from the Our Stories collection. It opens from the Guttenberg Press and the birth of knowledge and learning opening up for more than the select few. The chapters flow through the French Revolution, the poverty and slums of Britain’s poor as people moved into the overcrowded cities, on to the Irish Potato Famine which initiated the migration of countless people to Australia.

All these former things with many that are unmentioned, follow a common thread of the downtrodden  rising up, demanding rights to join the changes that were brought on by  the ‘People’s Charter’ that was drafted by William Lovett which, having failed in Britain, would succeed on the Ballarat goldfields.

There is so much information packed into this book which is comprised of 30 pages (not including glossary and references) on the subjects of settlement, political, cultural, social and economical history of Australia, a history of immigration ranging from poverty to opportunity, and the tremendous change that occurred during these historical times.

These books are educational while entertaining. They’re written in a sparse but precise style with supporting archival pictures which visually reinforce the text. This series comes highly recommended for the 8+ age group.