Australia captured

We celebrate our 30th anniversary with a new compilation of the best stories about people from

HENRY LAWSON’S DARKLY humorous view of the Aussie bush as “nurse and tutor of eccentric minds – not to mention home of the weird” is one to which AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC occasionally subscribes as we document our nation in words and pictures. It’s the people of Australia who have provided the filter through which we have sought to interpret, understand and celebrate the island continent we call home. So it’s not surprising that it’s the stories of ordinary Aussies that we’ve chosen to bring together in a brand-new book to celebrate our 30th anniversary year.

Right from the very beginning, we embraced an editorial vision to seek out the Australia largely ignored by other media. We shone a light on remote communities and rural practices and lifestyles. The people whose lives have been brought sharply into focus across our pages have tended to live beyond the security of the big metropolises. They dwell in places where the vagaries of weather and climate dictate the fortunes of those willing to try their luck. If we are influenced by our physical environment, then these Australians have been forged by a monumental and often hostile landscape, whether they arrived in modern times, or have lived here for millennia, and they continue to inspire us.

When we started identifying articles for inclusion in the book, A Portrait of Australia: The Best Stories

from 30 Years of Australian Geographic, it became clear that this journal’s sensitive portrayal of real Australian people has been a major strength. This book is a celebration in words and pictures of their indomitable community spirit, their struggles, passions, livelihoods, skills and the changing times through which they have lived. Many themes and personal qualities recur throughout the pages and the result is an anthology that paints a vibrant portrait of an Australia of which we can all be proud.