Kakadu Podtour, Field Guides, Children’s Books and More

Now, this particular piece has been a long time coming…
I had been planning to collate a list of worthwhile literature on Kakadu National Park, an introduction to its Aboriginal Culture, commendable field guides to the local flora and fauna, resources for school kids, interesting web links and exciting recounts of early European settlers for a while.

I’ll make an effort to keep it as structured as possible and hope you’ll find this list of resources (available in print as well as electronic media formats) useful when you prepare for your stay in the Top End.
Some of the publications also make really nice (as well as meaningful) souvenirs and gifts.

By no means will this list be complete – but it will be a good starting point. Please feel free to leave your feedback or add to the list!

Kakadu National Park

A fabulous introduction to the diversity of Kakadu National Park is this book by Ian Morris. It’s got a large number of excellent photographs and describes how life changes over the course of a year in Kakadu’s different habitats:

• Morris, Ian: Natural History Guide to Kakadu National Park, Steve Parish Publishing (1996), ISBN: 1875932402

• This Kakadu Podtour produced by the ABC has only been online for a few weeks, download it onto your computer or your MP3 player and listen to Kakadu National Park rangers, Traditional Owners and Tour Guides on this virtual ‘Tour de Kakadu’: http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/03/16/2847217.htm

• And, of course, there’s the official website of the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts with lots of useful information, including downloadable visitor guides and fact sheets on different topics: http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu/index.html

Aboriginal Culture of Kakadu and Arnhemland

All of these titles are truly inspirational and a good way to get a feel for this amazing place and its people and to reconnect with your environs:

• Neidji, B: Story About Feeling, Magabala Books, 1989, ISBN: 0-9588101-0-9

• Neidjie, B, Davis, S & Fox, A: Gagudju Man, Bill Neidji, JB Books, 2002, ISBN: 1876622385

• Spencer, Baldwin, Sir & Welch, David: Kakadu People, Australian Aboriginal culture series ; no. 3, 2008, ISBN: 9780977503537

• Breeden, S and Wright, B: Kakadu: Looking After the Country the Gagudju Way , Simon & Schuster, 1991, ISBN: 0-7318022-6-8
  (Out of print but still available in second hand bookstores and public libraries)

Written in plain language by Richard Trudgen who has lived and worked with Aboriginal people in Arnhemland for many years and who is working towards a better understanding of cross-cultural issues:

• Trudgen, Richard, Why Warriors Lie Down and Die, ARDS, Darwin, 1996, ISBN 0-646-39587-4

Aboriginal art and craft

The most comprehensive book on Aboriginal rock art in the region of Kakadu and West Arnhemland is written by Emeritus Curator Dr. George Chaloupka of Darwin’s Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT):

• George Chaloupka: Journey in Time, Reed Natural History Australia, 2000, ISBN: 1876334444

More than a coffee table book with 600 coloured images, contributions from experts in various fields, the book provides details of the works, the artists, their processes and techniques as well as their historical context:

• Louise Hamby (Ed.): Twined together: kunmadj njalehnjaleken, Injalak Arts and Crafts, 2005, ISBN: 0646446088

Field guides and reference books on Kakadu’s flora and fauna

• Brock, John: Native Plants of Northern Australia, Reed Book (1997), ISBN: 0-07301-0407-9

• Wightman, G & Andrews, M: Plants of Northern Territory Monsoon Vine Forests, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (1989), ISBN: 0-7245-0687-X

• Simpson, K & Day, N: Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, 7th edition, Penguin Group Australia, 2007, ISBN: 9780670041800

• Swan, G: A Photographic Guide to Snakes & Other Reptiles of Australia, New Holland Publishers (1995), ISBN: 978-1853-685-859

• Swanson, Stephen: Field Guide to Australian Reptiles, Steve Parish Publishing, 2007, ISBN: 9781740217446

• Tyler, M J, Knight F: Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 9780643092440

• There are also a number of identikits and field guides available from Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, check out their list of saleable items, contact details can also be found on their website: http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/publications/nreta/index.html

It’s a real shame that the publication of the Tropical Savannas CRC’s “Tropical Topics” has ceased – but the ones that were published by Stella Martin were an excellent source of interesting facts. These Tropical Topics are still available for download on the organisation’s website: http://savanna.cdu.edu.au/publications/tropical_topics.html

Children’s books

Beautifully illustrated and highly informative these books have received the seal of approval by the Children’s Book Council of Australia:

• Christophersen, Jane: My Home in Kakadu, Magabala Books, 2005, ISBN: 1-875641-93-9

• Christophersen, Jane: Kakadu Calling, Magabala Books, 2007, ISBN: 9781921248009

• Lucas, Diane: Walking with the Seasons of Kakadu, Allen & Unwin, 2005, ISBN: 9781741144710

• Lucas, Diane: Waterlilies, Waterlily Publications, 2007, ISBN: 978064646474816

Explorers and Pioneers

• Cole, T: Hell West and Crooked, Angus & Robertson (1994), HarperCollins, ISBN: 0-207-16692-7

• Lunney, Bob: Gone Bush: growing up fast in the Top End, HarperCollins, 2000, ISBN: 0-207-19937-X

• Warburton, Carl: Buffaloes: Adventures in Arnhem Land, Gecko Books, 200?, ISBN: 0977511413

The amazingly accurate and detailed diary of Ludwig Leichhardt’s expedition to the Top End of Australia can be studied online:

• Leichhardt, L: Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia (1847), http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5005/5005-h/5005-h.htm

Further readings

• Australian Government, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts: Kakadu National Park: Kakadu National Park Management Plan 2007 – 2014: http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/kakadu/management-plan.html

• EnviroNorth, Living Sustainably in Australias Savannas: http://www.environorth.org.au/windows/dk/index.html

Happy reading!

Boh boh!
Anja

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