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REVIEW:
Written and published by Peter Lane, 2004
Reviewed by Peta Goodwin, March 2005
“ I have always thought of it as being the history of our planet – not just of the rocks, but a history and explanation of how our planet and the life on it has become what it is now”.
This wider view of geology and the discovery of a gap in the literature available to the public on the geology of Western Australia, are the reasons Peter Lane decided to write a Geology of Western Australia’s National Parks – aptly subtitled Geology for Everyone. A geologist who has worked in the oil exploration industry for many years, Peter had already contributed to geological literature by way of reports for oil exploration companies. Adventuring with his family into our national parks made him realise that nearly all published geological literature was concerned with mineral potential on leases and that there was very little information available on the geology of the parks, and certainly none that could be understood by anyone who wasn’t a geologist.
Western Australia has more national parks than any other state (at the time of writing more than 60) and our parks contain a far greater diversity of flora, fauna, climate, geology and landforms. Plenty of information is available to visitors on everything but the geology and in many of the parks (for example, the Stirling Range and Karajini) the geological features are the main reason for their existence.
Hence this book – slim enough for a day pack, easy to read and reference, full of explanatory photographs, diagrams and satellite images, and – I never thought I’d ever say this of a textbook – great bedtime reading! There is a glossary at the back of the book and geological terms are fully explained the first time they are used and then helpfully back referenced every time after that, in case you can’t remember what they mean. And if you’ve ever been asked by a child why the sky is blue, you’ll find the answer in here (bet you never thought it would have anything to do with rocks!), as well as the answers to many other questions you may have idly asked yourself as you wandered around, such as “Wonder why there are so many wildflowers here and not there?” or “Where does the Swan River come from anyway?”
Geology of Western Australia’s National Parks is a timely addition to that collection of handy little reference books that you can keep in your car when exploring, and will certainly make you look with renewed interest at this amazing state of ours.
Peter Lane is a committed environmentalist, who applauds the preservation of wilderness by the creation of national parks by our governments and the educational and recreational opportunities they offer us. Geology of Western Australia’sNational Parks is being marketed by C.A.L.M. (Website: http://www.naturebase.net). Copies are available at all leading bookstores and this site. RRP$29.95