A Portrait of Australia: Who Are We?

Statistics tell us that two-thirds of Australians live in capital cities, that we come from some 300 different ethnic backgrounds and that more than 85 per cent of us live within 50km of the coast.

But facts and figures can only reveal so much. To truly understand us and answer the question "who are we?", you need to share time and experiences with the people scattered right across this immense country - the sixth largest in the world.

Through this book, sense the uplifting bond of mateship that tempers the sorrow pervading a chilly pre-dawn autumn morning as the last post brings closure to a dawn service.

Spend time with our Nippers splashing about on the beach learning about living safely with the ocean swells that perpetually lap our island home.

Experience the commitment and isolation of our farmers, stockmen and rouseabouts as they work 16-hour days to herd stock and grow our food. And learn how our indigenous people are patiently retrieving lost languages.