What Happened When

📖 The Scoop

When was the Melbourne Cup first run?

When did women get the vote?

When did Vegemite and Violet Crumble bars first appear?

When did Nellie Melba give her last Australian concert?

When did any noteworthy event happen in Australia? What Happened When has all the answers.

If you want to know what was going on in the year you or your parents were born, you can browse. In 1932, for example, you will find that the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened, Phar Lap died, the ABC was established, Ion Idriess wrote Flynn of the Inland, Walter Lindrum made a world-record billiards break of 4,137, the basic wage was 3 pounds 3s 11d, and over 30 per cent of the workforce was unemployed.

The year-by-year arrangement of the text makes reference easy and the 130-page index is a valuable source in itself, providing both answers to specific questions (What was Ben Chifley's full name? When was On the Beach written and filmed?) and potted histories of events, people and institutions.

What Happened When will settle arguments, refresh memories, furnish some surprises and answer a lot of questions. It is an invaluable reference for librarians, archivists, students, historians, pub arguers, puzzle solvers and anyone interested in Australia's history.

'For anyone who has tried to check facts and dates in Australian history... this could be a godsend...' Sydney Morning Herald

'There is no doubting the book's pre-eminent browsability. The index and cross-reference are superb.' The Australian

Genre: Reference / General (fancy, right?)