• Provides a wide-ranging introduction to modern Australia, examining its history, geography, and culture
• Focuses on the distinctive features of Australian life by considering the historical perspective
• Explores the role of Australia's indigenous culture and their place in the history of Australia as a whole
• Considers Australia's role within the wider world
• Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over five million copies sold worldwide

In this Very Short Introduction Kenneth Morgan provides a wide-ranging and thematic introduction to modern Australia. He examines the main features of its history, geography, and culture since the beginning of the white settlement in New South Wales in 1788. Drawing attention to the distinctive features of Australian life he places contemporary developments in a historical perspective, highlighting the importance of Australia's indigenous culture and making connections between Australia and the wider word. 

Balancing the successful growth of Australian institutions and democratic traditions, he considers the struggles that occurred in the making of modern Australia.