Guides: Alumni Travel Reading: Australia & New Zealand

Birds of New Zealand

Portrait of Sirocco, a male Kakapo or species of nocturnal flightless parrot. Image by the Department of Conservation. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

The Given Land by Thomas Allen
ISBN: 1453792686
Publication Date: 2010
In this fantasy adventure book, Thomas Allen tells the story of the invasion of New Zealand by mammals and other outsiders through an avian society modeled after the Maori. Through the eyes of the "Walkers and Flyers" -- flightless and non-flightless birds -- we come to see the hardships presented to native wildlife by invasive species. Readers will follow Eldest with Feathers, a wise Kakapo, while he attempts to warn the island about the intruders.
Birds of New Zealand by Julian Fitter; Don Merton
ISBN: 0691153515
Publication Date: 2012
New Zealand is known for having many unique and endangered birds, unlike those found anywhere else. The color-photographs and detailed descriptions in this guide will help you become better acquainted with the numerous species you will encounter

Kiwi Crossing

Kiwis crossing, just south of Eketahuna. Photograph by Tākuta. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Environmental Issues

Seeds of Empire: The Environmental Transformation of New Zealand by Tom Brooking; Eric Pawson
Call Number: HD1120.5 .B76 2011
ISBN: 9781845117979
Publication Date: 2010
Many of us learned to love the landscape of New Zealand watching the Lord of the Rings films. Brookings and Pawson jolt us from our reverie on all those green hillsides by explaining that this landscape is a product of empire—a project not only of people but of the natural setting. Most of the green grasses of New Zealand are transplants from the British landscape. What does this mean for the long term health of the environment? Brooking and Pawson are also the editors of “Environmental Histories of New Zealand” (2002) Oxford University.
The Reef: A Passionate History: The Great Barrier Reef from Captain Cook to Climate Change by Iain McCalman
Call Number: DU280.G68 M44 2014
ISBN: 9780374248192
Publication Date: 2014
From the publisher: “"A journey into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, as experienced by explorers, scientists, and artists The Great Barrier Reef is the most spectacular marine environment on earth, a true wonder of the world. Yet the history of our encounters with it has long been elusive. In The Reef, the acclaimed historian and explorer Iain McCalman recounts in full the dramatic story of the reef and the people who have been captivated by it for two centuries.”

Australia in Fiction

The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
Call Number: PR9619.3.K46 D38 2013
ISBN: 9781476734613
Publication Date: 2013
Prolific and versatile author Thomas Keneally writes about two sisters from Austrialia who escape their restricted life on the family farm to serve as nurses in World War I. They are exposed to horrors of the battlefield, but in the midst of inspiring colleagues find their own strength to work in conditions they could never have anticipated.
The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish by Tim Flannery
Call Number: PR9619.4.F64 M96 2016
ISBN: 9781250079428
Publication Date: 2016
Anthropologist and museum curator Archie Meek sees something amiss with the famous Venus Island Fetish, the center piece of this anthropological murder mystery. Perfect for moments of relaxation amidst your travels.

Explore Australia and New Zealand

Lake Hawea, New Zealand, photograph by CameliaTWU. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Bibliographers

Selected and Annotated By:

Rebecca Stuhr

Coordinator for Humanities Collections

Librarian for History and Classical Studies

stuhrreb @ pobox.upenn.edu

Kelsey LeClair

Specialist in Classical Studies

Administrative Assistant, Penn Libraries

kleclair @ pobox.upenn.edu

For information about this and other excursions, please visit the Penn Alumni Travel website.

Art of Australia and New Zealand

Brought to Light: Australian Art, 1850-1965 by Queensland Art Gallery Staff
Call Number: N3915 .A87 1998
ISBN: 0724282114
Publication Date: 1998
"Brought to Light" is a book on the Australian Art Collection of the Queensland Art Gallery, from 1850 to 1965. Over 60 essays discuss select works, teaching readers about the art, social contexts, and historical periods from when they were created.
Brought to light II : Contemporary Australian Art 1966-2006 from the Queensland Art Gallery by editors: Lynne Seear and Julie Ewington.
Call Number: N3915 .A872 2007
ISBN: 9781876509682
Publication Date: 2007
A sequel to "Brought to Light," this book follows the same model as its predecessor, but presents contemporary Australian Art.
Aboriginal art by Viktoria Tomek, Andreas Hoffer, Maria-Theresia Moritz, et al.
Call Number: N7401 .A26x 2015
ISBN: 9783902001832
Publication Date: 2015
This exhibition catalog displays art made by the indigenous people of Australia, from the collection of the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg, Austria. The Essl Museum houses one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal Art in Europe.
The Maori Collections of the British Museum by Roger Neich; Mick Pendergrast; Dorota C. Starzecka
Call Number: N7406 .B75 2010
ISBN: 9780714125947
Publication Date: 2010
This book offers an introduction to the study of Maori culture through art and domestic products produced by the Maori and owned by the British Museum. The British Museum boasts one of the largest collections of Maori artifacts outside of New Zealand.

Architecture

The Edge of the Possible

This documentary includes a lengthy interview with architect Jorn Utzon, the architect for the Sydney Opera House. Despite the fact that he was forced from the project in 1966 for political reasons, his building was added to The World Heritage list in 2007 "as a work of human creative genius" and one of the 20th century's greatest buildings. "It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind"

Please follow this link to view at the Archiod site.

Image from the opening scene from the film https://www.archiod.com/the-edge-of-the-possible-sydney-opera-house

New Zealand Architecture by Peter Shaw ; photographs by Robin Morrison.
Call Number: NA1606 .S53 1990
ISBN: 034053320X
Publication Date: 1990
Offered here is an extensive and detailed history of the diverse architectural styles of New Zealand. All styles are covered, from early Maori dwellings to post-modern 1980s.
Vertical Living: The Architectural Centre and the Remaking of Wellington by Julia Gatley; Paul Walker
Call Number: NA1607.W4 G38 2014
ISBN: 9781869408152
Publication Date: 2014
Gatley and Walker share the story of the Architectural Centre, a nonprofit organization that furthered architectural education and fought for better planning and design in New Zealand's capital city. The Centre's activists, students, and teachers greatly influenced the remaking of Wellington.

Glow Worm Caves of New Zealand

Lake McLaren, Tarunga, New Zealand. Photograph by neverunprepared. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Australia

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Call Number: DU105.2 . B83 2000
ISBN: 0767903854
Publication Date: 2000
From the publisher: "Funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity. 'In A Sunburned Country' is Bill Bryson's report on what he found in...Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet."
A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia by Peter Menkhorst; Frank Knight
ISBN: 0195573951
Publication Date: 2011
On any trip to Australia travelers will encounter numerous one-of-a-kind mammal species calling the continent home. This field guide will provide details needed to identify the mammals you will see.
The Changing Chicken: Chooks, Cooks and Culinary Culture by Jane Dixon
Call Number: GT2866.A9 D5 2002
ISBN: 0868404772
Publication Date: 2002
A cultural history of the family meal in Australia focused on the role of chicken.
A History of Australia by Mark Peel; Christina Twomey
Call Number: Van Pelt DU110 P44 2018
ISBN: 9781137605481
Publication Date: 2018-02-22
Mark Peel and Christina Twomey provide an engaging overview of the country's past to the great migrations of recent centuries to those living within the more anxiously controlled borders of the present day.

Young kangaroos near Melbourne. Image by Justin Otto. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Uluru

Uluru, image by Joanna Penn. Obtained on flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Australian Immigration

Experience and Representation: Contemporary Perspectives on Migration in Australia by Keith Jacobs
Call Number: JV9120 .J33 2011
ISBN: 9780754676102
Publication Date: 2010
Migration, emigration, and relocation are very much a part of the history of humanity and of its present. Australia, not unlike the United States, is a country with a checkered pattern of immigration policies that have opened and closed doors at different times to different peoples. This book takes a rich interdisciplinary approach to the study of migration, especially with regard to Australia. One reviewer writes that the book “is focused on the way in which migration has been experienced and responded to in Australia” but it also has “relevance to the understanding of migration in any national setting.”
The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding by Robert Hughes
Call Number: DU115 .H78 1987
ISBN: 0394506685
Publication Date: 1986
This highly acclaimed and widely read book from the 1980s describes the transportation of men, women and children out of 18th Century England to Australia. Read this with Australia: A Biography of a Nation by Phillip Knight which traces the modern history of Australia from a nation of convicts, through its traumatic experiences in World War I and World War II, its move away from its colonial status with England to the present day.

Aboriginal People

Protests, Land Rights, and Riots by Barry Morris; Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: DU124.G68 M67 2015
ISBN: 9781782385370
Publication Date: 2014
The Aboriginal people of Australia began demanding political rights during the 1970s under the pressures of social fragmentation, high unemployment, and economic and political changes. Protests were often violent and created antagonism between law enforcement and the Aboriginal population. Amidst the chaos and hostility, Australians were confronted with the realities of a post-settler colonial society and the consequences of undermining indigenous rights.
Culture Crisis: Anthropology and Politics in Aboriginal Australia by Jon Altman (Editor); Melinda Hinkson (Editor)
Call Number: GN665 .C85 2010
ISBN: 9781742232256
Publication Date: 2010
A look at the Australia's Northern Territory and government efforts to improve opportunities for the health, safety, and education of its indigenous people. Explores the disadvantage faced by native Australians and how existing polices have failed them.
Maori and Aboriginal Women in the Public Eye: Representing Difference, 1950-2000 by Karen Fox.
Call Number: DU423.W65 F69 2011
ISBN: 1921862610
Publication Date: 2011
Karen Fox explores how Maori and Aboriginal women were portrayed in the media during the second half of the twentieth century. Her book highlights well-known women indigenous to Australia and New Zealand, and how media can shape lives and communities.