This book investigates the scope and nature of environmental transformations across the Australian continent following the onset of European settlement in 1788. Ann R. M. Young, an academic with expertise in physical geography, synthesizes historical records and scientific data to evaluate how human activity has altered the landscape. The text provides a structured framework for understanding these shifts, balancing historical context with the technical physical processes that define the Australian environment.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for students requiring a technical overview of Australian environmental history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a reliable resource for understanding the intersection of human settlement and ecological change.