Guest editorial

Abstract

The last two decades of the twentieth century have seen a burgeoning interest in Australian history. Much of this interest has been engendered by major national events such as the bicentenary of European settlement in 1988 and more recently, the centenary of Federation, yet there has also been a growing public acceptance of the existence of another, less tangible, history of Australia that predates the arrival of Europeans. While reflecting a heightened sense of national confidence and maturity, this awareness also relates to a growing community concern about major environmental problems now looming on a national scale. The fact that many of these issues had emerged by the end of the nineteenth century provided clear evidence that landuse practices transplanted from elsewhere were not always sustainable in Australian environments.

It is not surprising therefore, that environmental history is seen by many today, as particularly relevant to any comprehensive analysis of land management and land management policies. Only by understanding clearly what has happened in the past through an objective examination of all available sources of information is it possible to identify critical factors and processes underpinning contemporary environmental issues.