Where Song Began: Australia’s Birds and How They Changed the World by Tim Low

JUDGES' COMMENTS

In this very readable book, Tim Low breaks down distinctions between human history and natural history to develop a carefully nuanced analysis of the complex interactions between the birds of Australia, its human inhabitants and the broader environment. In doing so he turns our world upside down to make a compelling argument that the majority of the world’s birds have ancestors from Australia and that, in particular, all songbirds have Australian roots. Low makes us realise that our understandings of the birds of Australia up until now have been shaped by a colonial mentality in which the North has been seen as the source of civilisation and global ecological evolution over the centuries.

Where Song Began reminds us how wonderful the birds are that surround us in our daily lives — colourful, smart and often noisy — but it also documents that, while many are flourishing, others are endangered. Rich in historical and scientific detail drawn from a wide range of disciplines, this book demonstrates that we need a history that brings the humanities and sciences together if we are to understand the world we live in, its evolution and how we might shape its future.