Great Disasters in Australian History

From the sinking of the Waratah to the West Gate Bridge collapse to the Granville train disaster to the Black Saturday bushfires, here are twenty-three peacetime disasters that changed Australia forever.

A gripping account of the worst disasters to hit Australia since Federation

From bushfires to cyclones; sinking ships; train and plane crashes; mine explosions and bridge collapses; the Port Arthur massacre and the Bali bombings; Australia has suffered numerous terrible tragedies.

Bestselling author and historian Dr Jonathan King recounts the most extreme disasters to have hit Australia, opening each account with stories of the victims who died or whose lives were irrevocably changed by them, detailing the events and conditions that contributed to them, and telling inspiring tales of heroism and bravery in response to them.

Dr King also shows how many of the disasters were caused by avoidable human error or negligence and warns that global warming will cause ever more extreme weather events.

Dreadful as they've been, most Australian tragedies have resulted in constructive initiatives such as tighter gun controls in response to the Port Arthur shootings; stricter regulations for transport by air, sea and rail; and safer conditions for workers.

Thought-provoking and gripping, Great Disasters in Australian History takes you on a rollercoaster ride through more than a century of tragedies that have rocked our nation.