On Surrey Hills

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Inspired by the writing style of renowned Australian farmer and author Eric Rolls (A Million Wild Acres), Robert Onfray has created a fascinating human and anecdotal regional history which brings to life the rich past of Surrey Hills, a unique tract of land in north-west Tasmania. Fires, Farms and Forests is an environmental and cultural account of the changes in the landscape from the last ice age to the present day. It takes the reader on a journey of discovery: How the native grasslands were created using fire; the introduction of European farming; the search for valuable minerals; the construction of what is claimed to be the world's longest wooden tramway; unique hunting for fur in the short, mandated open season during winter; the genesis of the pulp and paper industry in Tasmania and the development of Australia's largest industrial-scale eucalypt plantation estate; and a remarkable account of one of the most isolated towns in Tasmania that existed for 87 years and suddenly disappeared. This is a tale that needed telling. It is an important story about north-west Tasmania and a must-read for anyone interested in human history and land management.

"'Marvellous, powerful, beautiful' KIJ JOHNSON, multi-times winner of the HUGO AND NEBULA AWARDS 'Beautifully written, meaningful, top-drawer storytelling. An extraordinary novel in the tradition of great old-school literary science fiction like Atwood and Bradbury' - LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY AUTHORS" Misty woods; abandoned towns; secrets in the landscape; a forbidden life by night; the scent of bygone days; a past that lies below the surface; and a door in a dream that seems to hold the answers. Paftoo is a 'bod'; made to serve. He is a groundsman in the last remaining countryside estate, once known as Harkaway Hall and now a theme park. Paftoo holds scattered memories of the old days but they are regularly deleted to keep him productive. When he starts to have dreams of the Lost Lands past, Paftoo is thrown into a nightly battle for his memories, his soul and his cherished connection with Lifeform Three. Includes an appendix of suggested questions for reading groups. "'I really didn't want this book to end; it's that good' - BUILD ANOTHER BOOKCASE"

A pictorial history of Surrey Hills over the past century.

Our authors have chosen 15 of the best short walks around Guildford, Dorking and south Surrey. Each walk comes with easy-to-read Ordnance Survey maps, clear route description and lots of images, plus information on beauty spots and tasty refreshment stops. No challenging terrain or complicated navigation means walks can be enjoyed by everyone.

A rollicking ride through the history of Sydney's oldest and most dynamic suburbs, Surry Hills and Redfern. Follow the map or create your own tour with these colourful secrets. Imagine the way the region was and fill in the gaps on how the suburbs came to be what they are today. What secrets hide in the streets of your neighbourhood?