The Ways of the Bushwalker: On foot in Australia

This book traces the history of bushwalking in Australia and shows how the activity has become the most popular way that Australians engage with the bush. For many Australians, walking has become a major means of developing an attachment to the land and a connection to the nation. The book features many primary materials including diary entries, club newsletters and photos that bring to life the origins and developments of walking as a significant Australian pastime. It also offers some marvellous pen portraits of the extraordinary characters that pioneered bushwalking in this country, and those who followed in their footsteps.

Melissa Harper completed her PhD in History at the University of Sydney and now lectures in Australian Studies at the University of Queensland. Her book, The Ways of the Bushwalker: On Foot in Australia (2007), explores how bushwalkers have engaged with the landscape through leisure. She is currently working on a project that examines the rise of fine dining in Australia since the 1970s and is co-editor of the Journal of Australian Studies.