Eucalypts are a familiar part of the Australian landscape and an integral part of the country's identity. They have been farmed and used to build houses, furniture, roads and bridges since the beginning of white settlement. They have been painted and written about and Aboriginal Australians have long made musical instruments from them. Though a small number are found as native plants in several other countries, Eucalypts are a very Australian tree.
This book celebrates their diversity, their beauty and the role they play in the history, culture and economy of Australia. It looks at their evolution, biology, horticulture and ecology, together with their classification and the botanists involved. Through historic and contemporary images, it examines the many ways in which they have served Aboriginal, colonial and contemporary Australians in both practical and aesthetic ways.