Red Earth

Red Earth is the remarkable history of the Mildura region – the northernmost part of Victoria. ‘Mildura’ is a Latje Latje word meaning ‘red earth’ or ‘red banks’, a reference to the intermittent stretches of red in the cliffs and banks of the Murray River near the junction with the Darling. Beginning with the region’s deep history, author and historian Stuart Kells unfurls the fascinating layers of this story, much of which has never been told in book form. For the first time, Kells captures the richness of the pre-colonial history, the migrant experience, the region as a tourist destination and a canvas for arts and culture – and other unique developments that shaped the region and influenced Australia and the world. Irrigation is central to Mildura’s story, and Kells presents a new perspective on the Chaffey Brothers’ land scheme, and Alfred Deakin’s role in it. Above all, the book captures the human stories that are the backbone of the region’s history.Red Earth is a richly illustrated landmark book, ambitious in its scope, meticulous in its methods and full of heart and human drama.

Stuart Kells is enterprise fellow at the Melbourne Institute, University of Melbourne, and an adjunct professor at La Trobe University's College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce. He has written on a wide range of subjects, including local history, libraries, publishing, professional services and diamond mining. His shorter works have been published around the world, including in Smithsonian, The Paris Review, The Guardian and National Geographic Traveler. His history of Penguin Books, Penguin and the Lane Brothers, won the Ashurst Business Literature Prize in 2015. The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award and the NSW Premier's general history prize. He delivered the 2022 Murray Talk and spoke at the 2024 Chaffey Festival, both in Mildura.