Australia & Oceania Audiobooks | History

"On the 25th August 1895, Ernest Alfred Hall was born into a pioneering Australian family that lived on a 313-acre property called 'Cloverdale' near the hamlet of Beech Forest, south of the Otway Ranges, some 200 kilometres south west of Melbourne, Victoria. As a child, it seemed he would be destined for the life of a farmer in a country that was just realising its independence through Federation, yet his path was to be diverted by the cataclysmic events that befell Europe and the British Empire. So it was, that one month short of his 20th birthday, Ernest caught the train to Melbourne and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. At only 5' 3' he was never going to be the biggest soldier in the army, but as his father said to him, 'It's not the size of the dog in the fight, son, but the size of the fight in the dog.' Like so many, Ernest Hall embarked for the war to end all wars. Unlike so many, his letters and records survived. This is his story."

Murray Ernest Hall (Author), Geoffrey Boyes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Return to Uluru

"A killing. A hidden history. A story that goes to the heart of the nation. When Mark McKenna set out to write a history of the centre of Australia, he had no idea what he would discover. One event in 1934 – the shooting at Uluru of Aboriginal man Yokununna by white policeman Bill McKinnon, and subsequent Commonwealth inquiry – stood out as a mirror of racial politics in the Northern Territory at the time. But then, through speaking with the families of both killer and victim, McKenna unearthed new evidence that transformed the historical record and the meaning of the event for today. As he explains, ‘Every thread of the story connected to the present in surprising ways.’ In a sequence of powerful revelations, McKenna explores what truth-telling and reconciliation look like in practice. Return to Uluru brings a cold case to life. It speaks directly to the Black Lives Matter movement, but is completely Australian. Recalling Chloe Hooper’s The Tall Man, it is superbly written, moving, and full of astonishing, unexpected twists. Ultimately it is a story of recognition and return, which goes to the very heart of the country. At the centre of it all is Uluru, the sacred site where paths fatefully converged. “I feel sure that this book will become an Australian classic, not the first of its kind, but certainly the most powerful narrative I have read of frontier injustice and its resonance in our lives today.” MARCIA LANGTON “Mark McKenna has exposed the wounded heart of Australia. Never has a history of our country so assumed the power of sacred myth. Return to Uluru is a spellbinding story of death and resurrection that is Australian to its core.” JAMES BOYCE"

Mark Mckenna (Author), Andrew Martin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Differently Abled: Taking a Stand Making a Difference

"Differently Abled tells the true-life story of Graeme Axford life from childhood to adulthood and all the struggles in between. During the schooling years, he suffered from a severe case of dyslexia but this was not diagnosed until early adulthood long after her schooling was over. In great detail, Graeme describes his life journey and struggles which eventually led to him becoming an advocate for others. Over the years he’s helped well over 7000 people and dealt with the office of the ombudsman and privacy Commissioner all so Human Rights Commission and put his own petitions and before Parliament. His biggest and lifelong battle was with Child, Youth and Family and the Ministry of Social Development. His life takes some interesting twists and turns as will be revealed."

Graeme Axford, Jane Bissell (Author), Bruce Hopkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Kate Kelly

"Kate Kelly has always been overshadowed by her famous brother Ned, but the talented young woman was a popular public figure in her own right. This moving biography tells her astonishing story in full for the first time. Kate Kelly, the daring sister of legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, was mysteriously found dead in a lagoon outside the town of Forbes in 1898. At the inquest, Kate's husband Bricky Foster claimed that she was addicted to drink and frequently spoke of suicide. However, a friend and neighbour testified that she had only known Kate to drink since the recent birth of her baby and that she never spoke of suicide. Was it suicide, accident or murder, and why had she changed her name to Ada? Kate's exploits as a decoy and runner for the Kelly gang are well known, as is her presence at the gruesome Glenrowan siege, and the street protests that failed to save Ned's life. In the years after Ned's execution, she appeared at public gatherings around Australia. Huge crowds came to see her talk and ride, and she helped to popularise the Ned Kelly story, becoming a celebrity in her own right. Then she disappeared from the public eye. Rebecca Wilson is the first to uncover what really happened to Kate Kelly. It will surprise anyone who thought they already knew the story of Australia's most famous outlaw. 'Rarely told in full, this is the fascinating life of one of the great characters in one of our greatest stories.' - Paul Terry, author of The True Story of Ned Kelly's Last Stand"

Rebecca Wilson (Author), Nicolette Chin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Jerilderie Letter

"The Jerilderie Letter By Ned Kelly Narrated by Denis Daly Edward 'Ned' Kelly (1854 -1880) was the last and most celebrated Australian bushranger (outlaw). After being implicated in the shooting of three policemen at Stringybark Creek in October, 1878, Kelly and his gang were declared by the Victorian government to be outlaws, and were the subjects of an extensive man hunt over the next two years. In February, 1879, the Kelly gang staged a daring and highly organized raid on the Bank of New South Wales in the town of Jerilderie. During the occupation of the town Kelly dictated a letter to fellow gang member Joe Byrne, which he wished the editor of the Jerilderie & Urana Gazette to publish. Unable to locate the editor of the paper, Kelly gave the letter to Edwin Living, the accountant of the bank, with a demand that it be printed. However, the letter was not actually published until 1930 In the letter the outlaw gives a detailed explanation of his various grievances and, in particular, attempts to justify his actions at Stringybark Creek. Kelly was captured after an epic shootout at the Glenrowan Hotel in June 1880, and was executed by hanging in Melbourne on 11th November."

Ned Kelly (Author), Denis Daly (Narrator)

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Grave Tales: Great Ocean Road: Geelong to Port Fairy

"In cemeteries throughout Australia, gravestones hint at our history – tales of true crime, early settlement, mystery, tragedy, health epidemics, unsolved murders, love lost and sacrifice. The 'Grave Tales' series reveals more than the headstone can ever tell. Written by journalists Helen Goltz and Chris Adams, these stories feature people who willingly or unwillingly were participants in events that made headlines. This volume offers individual short stories of heroes, victims, trailblazers and patriots from Geelong to Port Fairy, encapsulating the journeys that lead to their resting places."

Chris Adams, Helen Goltz (Author), Anna Nguyen, Chris Adams, Joel Hines (Narrator)

Audiobook

Notes and Sketches of New South Wales during a residence 1839 to 1844 (Illustrated)

"In the summer of 1839, 26-year-old Louisa Anne Meredith, in the company of her husband, Charles Meredith, sailed from England to the British colony of New South Wales, in what was then New Holland. Four years later, she published a detailed account of theyears since she had left England. A fascinating window into the past, Louisa's impressions and experiences cover the four-month ocean voyage; life within the fledgling city of Sydney; travels across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst; and eventual settlement at Homebush in Sydney's west. Vivid observations of Sydney as it was in the 1840s combine with descriptions of flora, fauna and the general way of life in the colony, all told through the eyes of a well-educated, articulate and well-to-do woman who had come from a very different climate and upbringing to that she found in Australia. Louisa was a naturalist, author and illustrator and her eye for detail provides a historically significant document giving a unique window into early Australian settlement. From descriptions of polite society, to hardships of drought and overland travel; from architecture to politics, convicts to aboriginal customs, Louisa's keen wit and clever insight provide a fascinating account of life in colonial Australia."

Louisa Anne Meredith (Author), Amy Soakes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Angel of Waterloo

"A powerful novel from master storyteller Jackie French The soldiers she saved called her the Angel of Waterloo. The husband she loved and lost called her Hen. The patients she treated in secret called her Auntie Love. She was Henrietta Bartlett, a surgeon's daughter, a survivor of the Napoleonic Wars. But now the battlefield is just a blood-soaked memory, and Hen dreams of peace, a home, and a society that allows women to practise medicine. On the other side of the world, the newly founded colony of New South Wales seems a paradise. But Europe's wars cast long shadows ... From bestselling author Jackie French comes the story of one woman's journey from the hell of Waterloo to colonial Australia, where she can forge her own dreams in a land of many nations. PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH 'a master storyteller ... [she] gives women a rich, strong, and brutally honest voice' - Better Reading 'Heartwarming, heartbreaking and hard to put down' - Australian Women's Weekly on If Blood Should Stain the Wattle"

Jackie French (Author), Edwina Wren (Narrator)

Audiobook

Whatever Happened to Ned Kelly's Head

"Who stole the priceless Picasso from the NGV? Was Errol Flynn a Nazi spy? Did an Australian kill the infamous Red Baron? If you think Australia’s history is straightforward, you’re dead wrong. This is a land of the strange, the spooky and the unexplained. From the eerie ball of light that stalked a terrified family across the Nullabor, to the whereabouts of Victoria’s parliamentary mace, to the unidentified body found propped up on an Adelaide beach, and, yes, to the whereabouts of Ned Kelly’s skull, you’ll find our history has plenty of mysterious twists and unanswered questions. With his signature wit, Eamon Evans investigates Australia’s most curious mysteries, digs up the evidence and lays it out for the court of public opinion to decide. What Ever Happened to Ned Kelly’s Head? will have you scratching your head and wondering long after the last page."

Eamon Evans (Author), Jay Hackett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Down South: In Search of the Great Southern Land

"In Down South, writer Bruce Ansley goes on a journey back to his beloved South Island of New Zealand in search of what makes it unique. From Curio Bay to Golden Bay, in Down South writer Bruce Ansley sets off on a vast expedition across the South Island, Te Waipounamu, visiting the places and people who hold clues to the south's famous character. 'A wild and a contemplative journey that gives readers a glimpse of the fascinating stories that made up some of the South Island's glittering past.' - RNZ"

Bruce Ansley (Author), Kevin Keys (Narrator)

Audiobook

Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story

"Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All is the story of the cultural collision between Westerners and the Maoris of New Zealand, told partly as a history of the complex and bloody period of contact between Europeans and the Maoris in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and partly as the story of Christina Thompson's marriage to a Maori man. As an American graduate student studying history in Australia, Thompson traveled to New Zealand and met a Maori known as 'Seven.' Their relationship is one of opposites: he is a tradesman, she is an intellectual; he comes from a background of rural poverty, she from one of middleclass privilege; he is a 'native,' she descends directly from 'colonizers.' Nevertheless, they shared a similar sense of adventure and a willingness to depart from the customs of their families and forge a life together on their own. In this book, which grows out of decades of reading and research, Thompson explores cultural displacement through the ages and the fascinating history of Europeans in the South Pacific, beginning with Abel Tasman's discovery of New Zealand in 1642 and Cook's circumnavigation of 1770."

Christina Thompson (Author), Sarah Mollo-Christensen (Narrator)

Audiobook

Moonlite: The Tragic Love Story of Captain Moonlite and the Bloody End of the Bushrangers

"Read by Ryan Corr, acclaimed for his roles in Holding the Man and HBO's House of Dragon. Immerse yourself in the captivating, true story of a unique bushranger's life, perfect for history enthusiasts and true crime fans. From Walkley Award-winning writer Gary Linnell comes the true and epic story of George Scott, an Irish-born preacher who becomes, along with Ned Kelly, one of the nation's most notorious and celebrated criminals. A Cast of Unforgettable Characters. A gay bushranger with a love of poetry and guns. A grotesque hangman with a passion for flowers and gardening. A broken young man desperate for love and respect. These men - two of them lovers - are about to bring the era of Australia's outlaws to a torrid and bloody climax. From Privilege to Notoriety Charismatic, intelligent, and handsome, George Scott was born into a privileged life in famine-wracked Ireland. His family lost its fortune and fled to New Zealand. There, Scott joins the local militia and after recovering from gunshot wounds, sails to Australia. The Birth of Captain Moonlite One night he dons a mask in a small country town, arms himself with a gun and, dubbing himself Captain Moonlite, brazenly robs a bank before staging one of the country's most audacious jailbreaks. After falling in love with fellow prisoner James Nesbitt, a boyish petty criminal desperately searching for a father figure, Scott finds himself unable to shrug off his criminal past. Pursued and harassed by the police, he stages a dramatic siege and prepares for a final showdown with the law - and a macabre executioner without a nose. A Window Into Australia's Past Told at a cracking pace, and based on many of the extensive letters Scott wrote from his death cell, Moonlite is set amid the violent and sexually-repressed era of Australia in the second half of the 19th century. 'Linnell's vibrant, lyrical retelling of Scott's remarkable life reads like a colourful novel' Daily Telegraph"

Garry Linnell (Author), Ryan Corr (Narrator)

Audiobook

Australia & Oceania Audiobooks in History