Historical Dictionary of Australia – James

20.09.2019
Biography, Economics, History, Politics, Western

1) Historical Dictionary of Australia – James C. Docherty
Scarecrow Press | 2007 | PDF

The last continent to be claimed by Europeans, Australia began to be settled by the British in 1788 in the form of a jail for its convicts. While British culture has had the largest influence on the country and its presence can be seen everywhere, the British were not Australia’s original populace. The first inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines, are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia into northern Australia as early as 60,000 years ago. This distinctive blend of vastly different cultures contributed to the ease with which Australia has become one of the world’s most successful immigrant nations.

The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Australia relates the history of this unique and beautiful land, which is home to an amazing range of flora and fauna, a climate that ranges from tropical forests to arid deserts, and the largest single collection of coral reefs and islands in the world. Through a detailed chronology, an introduction, appendixes, a bibliography, and cross-referenced dictionary entries on some of the more significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets, author James Docherty provides a much needed single volume reference on Australia, from its most unpromising of beginnings as a British jail to the liberal, tolerant, democracy it is today.

2) Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of Australia – Alan Day
Scarecrow Press | 2003 | PDF

This engaging Dictionary examines the history of, the search for, and the discovery of Australia, taking full account of the evidence for and the speculation surrounding possible earlier contacts by the Ancient Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese seamen. Day brings the expeditions to life, expressing the desires that drove great sea captains deeper into turbulent waters searching for caches of spice, silks, and precious metals.

3) Historical Dictionary of New Zealand – Keith Jackson, Alan McRobie
Scarecrow Press | 2005 | PDF

The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of New Zealand describes the many changes that have taken place during the past decade while building on the solid foundation of the first edition, which already traced New Zealand’s long and lively history. The book’s introduction gives an overall view of the country, while the chronology plots the path from the earliest settlers to the present. The dictionary includes hundreds of cross-referenced entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. Everything from the examination of the relations between the Pakeha and the Maori to the country’s environmental policy is covered in this reference. Further research is enabled by the extensive bibliography.

4) Historical Dictionary of Papua New Guinea – Ann Turner
Scarecrow Press | 2001 | EPUB

Papua New Guinea has experienced a remarkable rapid transition from scattered primitive societies to a modern unified nation. The dictionary covers major economic, social, political and cultural developments, basic geographic information, and biographies.

5) Historical Dictionary of Guam and Micronesia – William L. Wuerch, Dirk Anthony Ballendorf
Scarecrow Press | 1994 | EPUB

The book, in dictionary form, provides basic reference material on Micronesia, a region encompassing a vast area of the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Micronesia, from the Greek mikros (small), and nesos (island), is one of the three major geographical regions of the Pacific, or Oceania. It includes the Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert islands and the island nation of Nauru. In all there are 2,106 islands, Guam being the largest and most populous.

Intended for interested general readers as well as scholars, the book covers the history, culture, society, geography, and economy of the region, and includes information on prominent individuals, events, and institutions. It is the first book of its type on Micronesia. With maps, tables, and an extensive bibliography.