Frank Hurley: A Photographer's Life

Frank Hurley was once a household name in Australia. Now most famous for his photographs of the Shackleton Endurance and Mawson Antarctic expeditions, he was also a visual chronicler of many of the major events of the 20th century and of a rapidly disappearing non-Western world. He was an official photographer in two world wars, a pioneering documentary-maker, participant in early feats of aviation, and cinematographer on major Australian feature films of the 1930s. At the height of his fame he even knocked on Hollywood's doors. In his later years, he traveled the length and breadth of his country to produce illustrated books eulogizing Australia and its people. Hurley was a man of ceaseless energy and unbounded enthusiasm for his craft who scorned authority and would stop at nothing to obtain what he deemed to be a "perfect" result. He was an enigmatic and sometimes contradictory character—a loner who courted publicity, a curmudgeonly perfectionist, a pragmatic sentimentalist. He craved adventure, excitement, and accolades, often forsaking his family and business commitments to travel and work all over the globe. In this definitive, superbly illustrated biography, Alasdair McGregor vividly describes the character, achievements, and disappointments of a driven and remarkable Australian.

Arts & Photography

McGregor, Alasdair

Individual Artists

Penguin Random House, Australia

Antarctica: that sweep of savage splendour

Viking/Penquin

A forger and convicted felon, Francis Greenway was transported to Sydney in 1814. Only a decade later, his dreams of a “city superior in architectural beauty to London” began to be realized as he designed Hyde Park Barracks, St James’ Church, the Supreme Court, St Luke’s Church in Liverpool, and the Windsor courthouse. In this first biography of Greenway since 1953, award-winning author Alasdair McGregor scrutinizes the character and creative output of a man beset by contradictions and demons. He profiles Greenway’s landmark buildings, his complex and fraught relationship with Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and his thwarted ambitions and self-destruction.

A Forger's Progress: The Life of Francis Greenway

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

NewSouth

The Kimberley is a remarkable, yet little-known region of Australia. Occupying an immense area of the continent's northwest, it is remote, sparsely populated, and features an abundance of natural diversity. As a region, it stands apart. The great arc of ranges to the south and east effectively isolates this area from the rest of the mainland. The deeply indented coastline to the north, fortified by rugged cliffs and washed by monstrous tides, completes the Kimberley's natural borders. Home to an amazing array of wildlife and vegetation, the Kimberley is also one of the world's last great natural refuges. From its scorched desert fringes and vast eucalypt woodlands, to pockets of remnant rainforest and coastal mangrove communities patrolled by saltwater crocodiles, the Kimberley's variety of habitats has few equals. This volume delves into the most remote and least-known parts of this wild frontier. A vibrant and informative text, accompanied by stunning photographs, superb paintings, and personal reflections, reveals many aspects of the Kimberley, from its natural history to the history of its exploration. With a strong cultural emphasis, this book also explores the area's Aboriginal history and the significance of rock art. This memorable book will truly captivate readers and leave them with an understanding of the complexity of one of the world's few remaining wild frontiers.

The Kimberley: Horizons of Stone

Chester, Quentin

Painting

New Holland Books

On 23 May 1912, American Walter Burley Griffin was announced to the world as the winner of the international design competition for the new Australian capital to be built on a sheep paddock they called Canberra. Almost a century later, Griffin's design - but most of all its implementation - is still hotly debated. Who was this man and what was his vision? How did he come to Canberra, what happened once the Australian establishment tore him to shreds, and what was the role of his wife, helpmate, fellow architect and equal creative partner, Marion Mahony Griffin? In this definitive new biography of Griffin husband and wife, Alasdair McGregor delineates the role each played in the production of their greatest works - Canberra, Castlecrag, Newman College and the rest - and charts their lives, from their childhoods and meeting in Chicago in the employ of the larger than life Frank Lloyd Wright, to their battles in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney, and their swansong in India. This is a tale of many parts. It traces the lives of two individuals of great talent and vision and their fight against mediocrity. It is the story of the birth of Canberra, one that tells us as much about the Griffins as it does about ourselves and the troubled birth of the Australian national identity. It is a portrait of a pioneering woman who achieved extraordinary things but was rarely credited with that achievement. And it is an examination of the nature of fame in a young country uncertain of its position in the world. The Griffins' story resonates through the years, and their fight to see their idealistic vision realised is one that goes on in Australia today. "This handsome book . . . is the latest in a growing line of books about the Griffins, and it is perhaps the most successful to date." Roger Pegrum, Canberra Times "a meticulously detailed account of the Griffins' professional output." Annabel Lawson, Australia Coast to Coast Country Style

Grand Obsessions

Arts & Literature

Penguin Global

The story of Australia in the middle decades of the 20th century – from 1930 to 1980 – is one of dramatic contrast; of dark days and light – of economic struggle, anxiety, war and sacrifice, giving way from the 1950s onwards to prosperity, plenty and confidence.\nAustralian Geographic’s In Living Memory surveys these decades with a collection of fascinating, surprising and entertaining photographs of everyday Australian life. Author Alasdair McGregor places the images in their historical context with a thoughtful essay to introduce each of the four chapters – the way we lived, the way we moved, the way we worked and the way we played.\nThis warmly nostalgic collection will appeal to all ages – those who remember the milkman, the dunny man and the ice chest, and those who cheered on Dennis Lillee’s moustache or took part in the ‘bikini wars’ on Bondi Beach.

In Living Memory

Australian Geographic Pty. Ltd

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Books by McGregor, Alasdair