Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is a history of an iconic place. It is a big history of geological origins, management by Aboriginal people, environmental despoliation by white Australians, and the formation of beach cultures. It is also a local history of the name Bondi, the origins of the Big Rock at Ben Buckler, the motives of early land holders, the tragedy known as Black Sunday, the hostilities between lifesavers and surfers, and the hullabaloos around the Pavilion. Pointing to a myriad of representations, author Douglas Booth shows that there is little agreement about the meaning of Bondi. Booth resolves these representations with a fresh narrative that presents the beach’s perspective of a place under siege. Booth’s creative narrative conveys important lessons about our engagement with the physical world.

Professor Douglas Booth is Dean of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism at Thompson Rivers University (Canada), an Emeritus Professor at the University of Otago (New Zealand) and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland (Australia). His previous works include The Field (2005), Australian Beach Cultures (2001) and The Race Game (1997).