|
A new book on the history of the macadamia industry and the unique Australian genus that supports it: The macadamia – Australia’s gift to the world
Ian McConachie AM is a pioneer and leader of the Australian macadamia industry and an acknowledged authority on the macadamia.
He draws on a wealth of material collected over decades to tell the story of the macadamia nut and the industry it supports.
Originally enjoyed by Australia’s First Nations people, these tasty and nutritious nuts were only introduced to the rest of the world from the late 1800s.
Ian tells how macadamias evolved in Australian rainforests, describes their habitat and botanical classification, relays some of the Aboriginal names and legends about macadamias and the enthusiasm of early settlers for this nutritious treat.
He explains how and why an industry developed in Hawaii before returning to Australia, and the phenomenal growth of the Australian industry from 40 to 60,000 tonnes in 50 years.
Ian’s aim in publishing this book is for it to be a resource to protect the wild species and for the continued development of the macadamia industry.
Ian has gifted ownership of the book to the Macadamia Conservation Trust with proceeds to be used for wild macadamia conservation, to protect the biodiversity values of macadamias’ sub-tropical forest habitat and as the gene bank for the industry’s future.
This beautifully presented, full colour, coffee table book has nearly 300 pages of text and illustrations with a comprehensive index.
Recommended Retail Price is $49.95, copies are available through Australian Scholarly Publishing: www.scholarly.com and at selected Dymocks and other retail stores.
Bookstores can arrange a substantial wholesale discount from the publisher: contact@scholarly.info.
For more information please contact Denise Bond, Executive Officer, Macadamia Conservation Trust, denise.bond@macadamias.org.
| 
