FAQs

Is ANCIENT AUSTRALIA UNEARTHED a student or teacher resource?

It’s both! I originally intended to have two versions of Ancient Australia Unearthed – a student edition and a teacher edition. However, I found that most teachers use it as a teaching reference text and select relevant questions and case studies as they go, so there was no need for a second edition.

There aren’t many Australian history books suitable for homeschoolers’ needs, and in those we use, the chapters about pre-settlement are so-so at best and “rip the page out” at worst. Could you make some of your classroom activities easily adapted for homeschoolers?

Absolutely! All activities and questions in Ancient Australia Unearthed are designed for students to complete independently or in small groups, so it’s easily adapted for homeschool students.

How involved were Traditional Owners in the preparation/review/approval of material for ANCIENT AUSTRALIA UNEARTHED?

I requested advice and feedback from a number of experts, including Traditional Owners, to ensure that the textbook information is both accurate and respectful. All images of artefacts and rock art required written permission from Traditional Owners, and I was fortunate to receive permission to publish everything I requested, with the exception of a couple of culturally sensitive artefacts or rock art images, which I did not include in the book.

Archaeologists from all across Australia very kindly donated their time to review the chapters covering their own research, many of whom worked closely with Traditional Owners who were also able to provide feedback. When Ancient Australia Unearthed was published, local Traditional Owners attended the book launch and local Aboriginal Elder, Aunty Val, conducted a Welcome to Country.

Writing and publishing Ancient Australia Unearthed was a rich and collaborative experience, and I feel privileged to have had that opportunity.

Why self-publish? Wouldn’t it have been easier to work with an established educational publisher?

Traditional publishing probably would have made my job much easier! It often takes publishing houses a very long time to publish textbooks, as there are many steps and multiple people involved in the process. Teachers needed this information quickly, not two years into the future.

More importantly, I wanted full creative control over the book design and layout, as well as the number of images included. Most publishers have image quotas, which just didn’t work for me. I needed this book to be what teachers and students wanted, and to include the images and information necessary to address the curriculum requirements. A traditional publisher would not have been able to produce the book that was required for this purpose.

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