MAKARRATA. The Australians of Arnhem Land
The Saltwater People: An Epic of Ancient Australia's Hidden North.
Before European settlement, before the name 'Australia' was even spoken, a mighty civilization ruled the tropical waters of the far north. The Yolŋu—saltwater people of extraordinary courage and ancient wisdom—built a culture that would endure for thousands of years.
MAKARRATA plunges readers into this hidden world of Arnhem Land, where warriors spear-hunt giant crocodiles in mangrove swamps, where sorcerers work their mysteries under Southern Cross skies, and where love stories unfold against the backdrop of Australia's most remote and dangerous frontier.
From the epic raft migrations of 3000 BC to the mysterious golden coins that hint at ancient African connections, this sweeping historical romance captures the drama of a people who survived cyclones, shipwrecks, and pirate raids while building one of the world's most sophisticated indigenous cultures.
When the modern world finally arrives—first through missionaries, then through the bombs of World War II—the Yolŋu face their ultimate test. Ancient meets modern in a cultural collision that sparks what may be Australia's most significant Christian revival.
This is the story of the land where Matthew Flinders first declared 'Australia,' where Prime Ministers still come to listen, and where the voices of Gurrumul and Yothu Yindi echo ancestral songs. MAKARRATA is an epic adventure through Australia's hidden history—a tale that will thrill, inspire, and forever change how you see this ancient continent.
*****
This is a rewarding book to read. I have taught all over Australia, but I began my career teaching in a remote outstation school in Arnhem Land, where I learned about their culture, language, and customs, so uniquely portrayed by Michael Chambers in this book.
These stories are immensely entertaining both for their scope and authenticity.
Michelle Cattell, Port Macquarie
370 pages. $51.20 on Amazon plus freight