On McGuire's Punt: A Profile of Shepparton – From Squatting to Solar City 1838
Australian History Local History Social History Antiquarian & Collectible Cultural History Regional Studies Australiana Collectibles Oral History
First-edition copies of Ron Michael’s 1988 hardcover On McGuire’s Punt: A Profile of Shepparton – From Squatting to Solar City 1838 are becoming scarce, especially in the clean, collector-grade condition offered here. Bound in its original dust jacket and inscribed (not signed) by a previous owner, this 174-page volume sits at the sweet-spot between readable local history and desirable antiquarian piece, making it an ideal acquisition for historians, regional collectors, or anyone tracing the Murray-Goulburn heritage.
What sets the book apart is its sweeping yet intimate scope: Michael moves from the first squatter camps on the Goulburn River in 1838 through river-boat trade, irrigation booms, post-war migration and on to Shepparton’s modern reinvention as Australia’s “Solar City.” Rather than dry chronology, the narrative is stitched together from personal diaries, newspaper snippets and oral recollections, giving readers the feel of a living, opinionated community evolving across 150 years. The result is a cultural study that doubles as a reference for schools, family historians and heritage consultants.
Collectors value the first printing for its period photographs, detailed maps and statistical appendices that never appeared in later softcover reprints. The sturdy sewn binding and acid-free paper mean the book remains solid for reading or display; the tight, unmarked interior confirms it has been well cared for since 1988. For anyone building an Australiana, Victorian local-history or cultural-studies shelf, this copy offers both research substance and the satisfaction of owning a genuine vintage Australian first edition that is increasingly hard to source online or in second-hand bookshops.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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