First Australians: An Illustrated History

First Australians is a landmark illustrated history of Australia that accompanies a major nine-part television series broadcast on SBS TV.

This is the story of the violent clash of culture, religion and ideas at the heart of Australia's history. Beginning with Aboriginal travellers landing on Australian shores around 70,000 BC, it chronicles the fierce war with colonists, the bloody massacres and the earliest civil rights movement the world has ever seen.

Drawing on a rich collection of historic documents and haunting images, it brings to life a cast of characters including Bennelong, who is kidnapped by the British and is the First Australian to set foot on British soil; Truganini, known as the last Tasmanian who is broken by the betrayal of her people; and Lieutenant Dawes, a British officer who defies the authority of Empire by falling in love with a young Indigenous woman.

Alive with colonial detail-corruption, mutinies and pyrrhic victories - First Australians tells the story that gave birth to the nation.