State Library of NSW – Sunburnt Country

What was Australia’s climate like before official weather records began? How do scientists use tree-rings, ice cores and tropical corals to retrace the past? What do Indigenous seasonal calendars reveal? And what do settler diaries tell us about natural climate cycles through their mention of rainfall, drought, bushfire and snowfall?

Sunburnt Country pieces together Australia’s climate history for the first time, uncovering a continent long vulnerable to climate extremes and variability. It shows how human activities have altered patterns that have been with us for millions of years. Sunburnt Country highlights the impact of a warming planet on Australian lifestyles and ecosystems, and the power we all have to shape future life on earth.

Tickets are free, but bookings are essential.