AUSTRALIANA

• xiii, 278 p. : ill. ; 19 cm.
• Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-278)
• First Edition. #091024

• Peter Timms leads us on a journey through his adopted city of Hobart, Australia’s smallest, most southerly, least prosperous, but arguably most beautiful state capital. From Hobart?s convict legacy, its spectacular natural setting, heritage architecture and climate, to crime-rates, economic hardship and the recent disfigurements of the developers, Timms brings a wealth of fresh insights, exploring the city with a mixture of affection, admiration, frustration and sadness, interviewing a wide range of residents along the way. Those who have experienced Hobart as tourists will be surprised and intrigued by the lively, complex society this book reveals.

• Exploring the city of Hobart, Tasmania, from a personal view, resident Peter Timms builds a lively, evocative and sometimes highly critical picture of Hobart today. The narrative deftly interweaves the views and opinions of residents and visitors from the early convicts to the current mayor with press reports and literary references to uncover how the city has developed over the past 200 years, how its sometimes brutal past has helped shape its special character, and what it is like to live in a small city on an island so far from the rest of Australia and the world. By thoughtfully examining Hobart’s architectural and planning history, cultural life, economy, and, above all, its people, this thorough exploration helps explain why Hobart is changing in the ways it is and what its future might hold.