Girt: the unauthorised history of Australia

Australians, generally, have a reputation for the ability to see humour in most situations so why not history. Some historians aside who appear to be upset when allusions to Australia's history appear in novel form - such as Kate Grenville's The Secret River, most other readers will enjoy this irreverent look at the history of our country until the end of Macquarie's term as Governor.

David Hunt starts his account with the first Europeans credited with bumping into the coast of Australia, Aborigines in Australia prior to 1788 and then the decision by the British to set up a colony on the other side of the world. The rest of the book deals with the trials and tribulations of the early settlement, the convicts and their leaders until Macquarie left the colony in 1821- nothing is safe. The author sets out to write a satire on Australian history and succeeds.

This book is recommended reading for anyone interested in the history of Australia but it is particularly recommended for those who think that Australian history is boring. The author is currently working on volume two so beware.

A review of Girt in The Australian 5 April 2014