DISASTER STRIKES

Australia’s past has had its share of great natural disasters. Our Continent is constantly seared by bushfires, parched by drought, and torn by cyclones.

Included in this collection are the stories of the great fire of 1851 that in one day burnt out the whole state of Victoria, and the cyclone that struck Darwin in the early hours of Christmas morning in 1974. There are also individual disasters, stories of people who suffered alone against the elements.

These events and others have been gathered together from newspapers, reports, inquiries, and other contemporary sources. They are not only a tribute to those who endured calamity with fortitude, but are events that we should not forget.
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: @@@@
Pages: 128
BCID: xxx-5645577
ISBN: 0-330-27035-4
Year: 1982
Format: Paperback
Comments: These stories are written simply so intermediate readers should have no problems. A great way for children to learn about Australia’s history, the stories in this book are divided into the four elements of Earth (‘A terrible Journey’; Outback Surgery; Missing at Christmas), Air (Mountain Drama; Fury on the Wind), Fire (Colony in Flames; Inferno on Tuesday) and Water (Hurricane in the North; High Water over Brisbane; So Close to Home).