Australia’s Wild Heart

AUSTRALIA’S WILD HEART—”A land of frightening loneliness and savage beauty.”

In these words, the author summarises that huge area which for many Australians is as remote as the far side of the moon, and to much of the world is utterly unknown. Explorers called it the Dead Heart, but in this book it is shown to be the wild and living heart of Australia; a regior which, despite the effects of some invaders, still preserves much that is uniquely Australian.

Its plant and animal life is perfectly adapted to one of the world’s harshest environments, and the author describes the seemingly miraculous provision which nature has made to ensure the survival of desert flora and fauna. The author’s study and intense observation of the area has resulted in his precise and colourful descriptions and his magnificent photographs, which combine to display the Wild Heart in all its strange beauty and hidden fascination.

PETER KNOWLES was born in Winton, Queensland, and educated at Brisbane’s Church of England Grammar School. He has spent most of his working life on the land as a grazier, and now lives at Namarva, near Winton, with 24,000 hectares and 10,000 sheep. His principal interests are photography, natural history, and reading. He is married and has four children.