Story of Australia was Volume 17 in the Australian edition of Childcraft: The How and Why Library, published by World Book in the late 1980s. The volume was written as a children’s introduction to Australian history, covering the story of the continent and its people from ancient Aboriginal cultures through European exploration, British settlement, colonial development, federation, and Australia’s growth as a modern nation. It was richly illustrated with photographs, maps, paintings, and timelines designed for upper-primary and intermediate readers.
The book begins with Australia’s First Peoples, describing the long history and cultural traditions of Aboriginal Australians before European contact. It then explores the voyages of early European explorers, including Dutch navigators and James Cook, and explains how Britain established the first penal colony at Sydney Cove in 1788.
Subsequent chapters examine:
Life in the early colonies and the challenges faced by settlers; Exploration of the Australian interior; The impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples; The gold rushes and rapid population growth of the nineteenth century.
The development of self-government and the movement toward federation; Australia’s involvement in major conflicts, including the World Wars. Social, economic, and technological changes that shaped modern Australia.

The book concludes by presenting Australia as a multicultural nation and highlights its unique environment, achievements, and place in the world. Like many Childcraft volumes, it combines historical narrative with biographies, illustrations, historical documents, and sidebars intended to make history accessible to young readers.