On McGuire's Punt: A Profile of Shepparton from Squatting to Solar City 1838-1988
Australian History Local History Social History Antiquarian & Collectible Cultural History Young Adult Non-Fiction Australiana Regional Studies
Collectors of Australiana prize first-edition copies of Ron Michael’s 1988 hardcover On McGuire’s Punt: A Profile of Shepparton from Squatting to Solar City 1838-1988 because the small regional print-run disappeared quickly and is now genuinely scarce. This 174-page, jacketed volume is not a dry municipal chronicle; it is a lively social history that traces the Goulburn Valley town from its earliest days as a 19th-century river punt crossing to its emergence as Australia’s “solar city.” Michael blends official records with oral recollections, photographs, and newspaper clippings to show how Aboriginal land became sheep runs, then orchards, then a modern multicultural centre. The result is a readable, Young-Adult-friendly narrative that doubles as a scholarly reference for local-history enthusiasts and family historians tracking migration to northern Victoria.
What makes this copy especially appealing is its immaculate, tightly-bound condition and the original dust jacket—two features rarely found intact on 35-year-old regional histories. A discreet previous-owner inscription appears on the fly-leaf (no author signature), but the pages themselves are unmarked, un-creased, and free of foxing, making the book both a collectible and a practical research tool. The inscription adds provenance without detracting from readability, so the volume sits equally well on a display shelf or open beside a laptop for quick reference.
For anyone outside the Goulburn Valley, On McGuire’s Punt is the fastest way to understand how irrigation, soldier-settlement, post-war migration, and 1980s technology transformed a frontier outpost into a thriving regional hub. Teachers seeking an Australian case-study for curriculum units on colonialism, agriculture, or urban development will find the 150-year timeline, mini-biographies, and statistical snapshots ready to use. Genealogists with ancestors in Shepparton, Mooroopna, or Tatura will discover previously unpublished photographs of main-street businesses, sporting teams, and community festivals that can break down “brick-wall” research problems. Because the book is out of print and rarely surfaces in commerce, securing a clean first edition now is a low-risk hedge against future scarcity and price appreciation.
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