David Hartley and Kirsty Murray. Illustrated by Dub Leffler

Honour book, 2021 Eve Pownall Award, Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards

Imagine you find a stranger on your favourite beach. They are pale, starving, desperate for shelter and speak a language you can't understand. Despite your fears, you treat them with kindness. You feed them and comfort them. They become like family to you and learn how to live on country.

'Strangers on Country' describes the experiences of six Europeans who were taken in by Indigenous communities of eastern Australia between the 1820s and 1870s. The shipwreck survivors and runaway convicts stayed alive only through their hosts' generosity.

Too often Australian history is told only from a European perspective. Imagining events from both Indigenous Australian and European perspectives, the authors have brought to life remarkable true stories that inspire connection and understanding.

Ages 8+

Teachers' notes

Strangers on Country – Teachers’ Notes (444.25 KB)

The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Cultural Notification

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.

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