Mining Towns: Making a Living, Making a Life

A history of iconic Australian towns that have emerged as a result of mining booms—including Broken Hill, Mount Isa, Queenstown, Mount Morgan, Port Pirie, and Kambalda—this book is a unique attempt to introduce urban readers to those communities, past and present. Unlike many mining books, this is not limited to a single material such as coal or gold, but traces the fortunes of a range of towns. With explanations on how these towns were formed and how well they have fared, it will interest academics and history buffs alike.

Erik Eklund is a professor of history at the Gippsland Campus of Monash University and the author of Steel Town: The Making and Breaking of Port Kembla. He is also the recipient of the New South Wales Premier’s History Prize.