When Europeans first settled in Australia, the land withheld many of its secrets from these new arrivals. There were broad rivers, wide plains, and tall forests, all of which to European eyes suggested promising sites for settlement. However, to many of the new settlers, the 'First Australians' (the Aboriginal people) were a puzzle. They moved freely through the country they knew intimately. What few settlers realized then was that the Aboriginal people and the land they lived in were indistinguishable. Invisible Country describes the environmental changes that have occurred in southwestern Australia since European settlement, through four case studies of the development of local rivers, forests, and coastal plains. These stories - compiled through extensive conversations with farmers, ecologists, traditional owners, and others who rely on the land - are book-ended by an examination of the historical perspective in which these changes have occurred. It is a reminder that the land owns the people, not the other way around, and this is the beginning of a conversation about understanding and caring for the land that all Australians are fortunate to live in.

Contents ch. 1 More than a single walk -- ch. 2 `Two rivers, two plains' -- ch. 3 `We've cleared the paddock' -- ch. 4 Salinity -- it's always been there -- ch. 5 What are forests for? -- ch. 6 When do we get it?.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [234]-240) and index.