watermark press

Peter Pinson
Photographs by David Perry

Bert Flugelman is one of Australia’s best-known sculptors whose large public works in stainless steel have ensured him a place in art history.
This beautifully illustrated book traces Flugelman’s work from the late 60s on, through the evolution of his geometric series to the present day.
It includes detailed comments from the artist himself, plus bibliography and index.

ISBN: 9780 949284839
132 pp Hardback
285mm x 260mm
Full colour
$75.00 inc GST

Roger Pegrum

This new edition of The Bush Capital has been published by The Watermark Press with the support of the ACT Government, as part of the Centenary Celebrations to mark the establishment of Canberra as the capital of Australia. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book provides a fascinating, detailed and often humorous insight into the political machinations behind the selection of our national capital.
ISBN: 978 0949284877
168 pp Hardback
297mm x 240mm
Full colour
$39.95 inc GST

Elizabeth Masters

For students, in fact anyone, even politicians, this new book provides a much-needed explanation of the workings of the Australian system of government. Starting with Magna Carta it takes the reader through a brief history of the Westminster system and on to the formation of the federal parliament. It then goes on to explain exactly how the government of today serves the people of Australia.
Australia’s Government Explained is illustrated throughout with photographs, easy-to-follow diagrams and historical etchings.

ISBN: 9780949284853
100 pp Softback
297mm x 210mm
Full colour
$19.95 inc GST

JOHN COOMBS QC

Somewhere between a legal textbook, selected memoirs and an autobiography. It’s the story of John Coombs’ career as a barrister, memories of his famous father HC ‘Nugget’ Coombs, and the serious, sometimes poignant, and occasionally hilarious cases that arrive in our courts.
The title of the book presents the dilemma faced so frequently by lawyers. The defendant may at first appear to be clearly guilty, but they could just as well be totally innocent. And the examples he gives, are timely reminders to keep an open mind.
His paper on the findings of the Royal Commission into the effects of the de-foliant Agent Orange is textbook stuff, extracting the truth from the hyperbole of a painful episode in Australian military history. Elsewhere there are delightful anecdotes about one-legged plaintiffs, a major damages claim settled on the outcome of a horse race, and occasions when one wonders whether the term ‘being called to the bar’ should take the simplest meaning. This is a book of memories of 40 years as a barrister and QC, told in a charming and unaffected way. It is a delightful read.

167 pages, mono, hardback with jacket ISBN 0 949284 79 3

ISBN: 0 949284 79 3
167 pp Hardback with jacket

210mm x 145mm
Mono

Drawings by Annette Wallis
$35 inc GST

The Story behind the Painting
Patrick H McCarthy
Foreword by Barry Pearce

The painting Bailed Up by Tom Roberts is probably Australia’s best known work of art. However the story about how and where it was painted, is the stuff of legend.
In this beautiful and intriguing book Patrick McCarthy shares his painstaking researches into the background of Bailed Up, where it was painted and who modelled for the artist. For years the highway robbery so cleverly depicted, has been a source of dispute but now after careful examination of the evidence, the author gives a probable answer.
Even more interesting is the saga of Bailed Up after its completion.
For thirty-three years Tom Roberts was unable to find a buyer for this masterpiece and even sent it to London in the hope of a sale. When ultimately it was sold, it went for a bargain price.
Then came recognition and, suddenly, Bailed Up was the painting everyone wanted to see. Today Tom Roberts is referred to as ‘the father of Australian landscape painting’ for his ability to portray the countryside as it really was. This book is an important addition to the story of one of Australia’s greatest paintings and includes a foreword by Barry Pearce, Senior Curator, Art Gallery of NSW.

ISBN 0 949284 72 6
190 pp Hardback with jacket
240mm x 240mm
Full colour
$45 inc GST

by Betty Lane Holland

A remarkable and heartwarming story of an Aussie battler who rose to be hailed as the greatest show jump rider in the world.

Starting in rural Dungog, NSW, Kevin was a 'natural' with horses and his manner of riding was often described as 'determined' rather than stylish. Indeed at first the American and European audiences laughed at his style but after big wins at the New York International Horse Show and Toronto Royal Winter Fair in 1968 that laughter changed to admiration.

ISBN:0949284 62 9
240pp PB +67 Photographs
Mono
180mm x 235mm

$29.95 inc GST

By Linda Funnel and Jean Bedford

There's no doubt about it--cats love to curl up with a good book. A cat that can't read is being deprived of this very great pleasure. And nothing is more tragic than an illiterate cat hamming it up in the public library.

Now you can help the feline member of you family to overcome its embarrassment by guiding it on the path to scholarship with this comprehensive cat literacy kit. The purrfect gift for the cat with everything, the kit contains The Cat's First Reader, The Advanced Cat's Reader (which includes a cat's dictionary and suggestions for further reading) as well as a revolutionary combined feeding dish and bookrest. Even if you think your pet already read well enough, every cat can gain some benefit from this brilliant reading system.

2 books each 16 pages
160mm x 130mm Softcover
Shrink-wrapped package includes plastic feeding bowl
ISBN 0 949284 29 7

$29.95 inc GST

illustrated by Sophie Blackall

This is the book most people will keep hidden lest others learn the secret of their tricks. But not every trick is that easy and if the truth is told, some of them are well-nigh impossible to perform successfully. However most of them have been party tested by the author and as we all know, practice makes perfect...

ISBN 0 949284 23 8
64 pages Hardback
165mm x 165mm

$25.00 inc GST

Leith Hillard
Illustrations by Sophie Blackall

In 1827 a strange and exotic party set out from the port city of Marseille, en route from Alexandria, to walk to Paris. For forty days, people lined the roads to watch the passing of the majestic procession: the first giraffe to arrive on French soil was slowly making her way to her new zoological home, stopping every now and them to sample the trees along the way.

Thjs charming book tells the true story of a creature fêted by a nation, garlanded by the aristocracy, who ate rose petals from the hand of the king. Finely detailed historical illustrations show the giraffe emerging from relative obscurity to be depicted as one of the world's weirdest mammals, once regarded as part camel, part hyena. Specially commissioned art-works help tell the tale of the epic journey. This is a beautifully illustrated gift book for children or adults.

ISBN 0 949284 41 6
48 pages Hardback
210mm x 210mm

$29.95 inc GST

by Lynette Ramsay Silver

This is the story of a little-known battle in colonial times with the Irish patriots who refused to accept exile in this land under British rule. Among the embezzlers, forgers, petty thieves, sheep stealers and housebreakers transported to the colony, were men whose crimes were purely political. The resentment of these political prisoners knew no bounds. Many of the Irish convicts were infuriated by the lack of official records and the resulting injustice and confusion over the lengths of their sentences. In desperation, they attempted to lay siege to the colony and demanded to be taken home to Ireland. ISBN 0 949284 61 0 250pp PB +30 photographs Mono 235 mm x 180 mm $29.95 inc GST

Authors: In-flight service staff, past and present

This a book of memories, told in unaffected terms by Qantas cabin crew from the days of the flying boats right through to the latest 747 jumbos. It provides wonderful insights into a byegone era of leisurely travel and how an airline works today. How in 1938 it took nine days with 30 stops to reach London, with the flying boats setting down in remote spots such as Koepang in Indonesia and Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. And when passenger amenities included golf putters, deck quoits and fishing rods to use at refuelling stops. Then suddenly, the fun was over. It was war time and cabin crew and other Qantas staff were killed as they helped evacuate refugees from Singapore, the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea. And then on into the makeshift post-war era of converted British bombers before the arrival of the 'Connies' and 'Super Connies' - those graceful propeller driven aircraft. Meanwhile Qantas cabin crew moved up from serving 15 passengers on a Lancastrian to over 300 on the jumbos and somehow even cared for 700 on board one flight after the Cyclone Tracy disaster. And behind all this is a generous sub-culture of nicknames, anecdotes, service and community spirit such as the Pathfinders Auxiliary supporting children with vision and hearing impairments, UNICEF and other charitable causes. Along the way Qantas cabin crew met princes and prelates, rock stars and royalty, and smiled, laughed and sympathised on call. It's hard not to experience a wonderfully warm feeling as you read this book. *In the jargon of cabin crew, the word Pax means Passengers, Slips means Stop-overs and Dunlops means the end of a flight when the wheels touch the tarmac. ISBN: 0 949284 66 1 173pp Softback 235mm x 180mm Mono 100 photographs + illustrations $29.95 inc GST

Joan Ackland

Anne Marie Graham's art is a celebration of life. Her images, created during a career spanning more than six decades and brilliantly documented in this book, are beautiful records of the natural world and sympathetic depictions of her fellow human beings. Her insights are penetrating and affectionate but always distinctly her own. In Images and Insights, author, Joan Ackland, has produced a rich and lively narrative of the artist's life's work from her sensitive, often witty, depictions of the urban and suburban scene to the more recent pure landscapes. These are as diverse as lush tropical rainforests, the historic Melbourne Botanic Gardens and the arid inland of Australia. The optimism in her paintings is infectious. This beautiful book with its wonderful cast of characters embraces every generation, and underlines the artist's determination that life goes on in all its richness and possibility of renewal. Joan Ackland is a noted author in the fields of late medieval and early renaissance art and is a recognised editor and arts critic. Her poetry and short stories have been published widely in Australia and overseas. ISBN: 0 949 284 68.8 304pp Softback 275mm x 230mm Five colour throughout 160 photographs $49.95 inc. GST

Lynette Ramsay Silver

This is historic detective work at its very best. In The Bridge at Parit Sulong, the author tells the story of an epic battle during one of the most desperate fighting retreats of World War II and the appalling massacre which followed. Through dogged research, including a full examination of the actual battle site, Lynette Silver has pieced together a story of heroism, mass murder and barbarism. For sixty years, the names of the Australians murdered at Parit Sulong, the location of their remains, and even the killing field itself, remained a mystery. Now in this gripping saga, the author unravels the true story and uncovers the fate of many others who had just been listed as 'missing in action'. This thought-provoking book traces, in meticulous detail, the story of these horrific events and how, through an intricate legal chase, the Japanese responsible for the massacre were finally brought to justice. ISBN 0 949 284 65 3 486pp PB +60 photographs Mono 235 mm x 180 mm $39.95 inc GST

By Peter Collins

The inspirational story of commando service in Australia starts with the early Independent Companies and their remarkable exploits against the Japanese in WWII. In the Cold War era, two commando companies were raised and soon expanded to include signallers before becoming a regiment.

These part time soldiers have diverse civilian occupations but all are bonded by a remarkable spirit that illuminates this book. Over the years commandos have built up an enviable honour roll; several were awarded the very highest decorations for gallantry.

Strike Swiftly, The Australian Commando Story gives a remarkable insight into a close-knit unit of highly trained individuals with extraordinary skills.

Commandos awarded the coveted green beret have specialist qualifications in roping and rappelling, parachuting and amphibious operations. Training is always high-risk; sometimes hair-raising, but often humorous. Strike Swiftly, The Australian Commando Story gives insight into the events and characters that have shaped this superb Regiment over the last half century.

Author, Peter Collins, is a former Honorary Colonel of 1 Commando Regiment and served with 1 RNSWR (Commando) in 1969. He is also a Commander in the RAN Reserve. Earlier in his career, he worked as a journalist for ABC television including the Four Corners program.

He was elected to the NSW Parliament in 1981 and during his political career held many portfolios including Attorney General, Health, and the Arts.

His previous book The Bear Pit was an exposé of NSW state politics.

ISBN 0 949284 70 X
336 pp Hardback
Four colour throughout
240 x 270mm

$75.00 includes GST Download Order Form