Rottnest book back in print

The first edition of Cale McMillen’s hardback photo book Rottnest Island: The Cultural Landscape sold out.

But Cale has just told us the good news: “The second (and improved) print run has sailed into Fremantle, so I once again have books!”

Over 10 years, Cale cycled more than 30,000km round Rottnest Island, taking the photographs that appear in the book.

A long-term island resident, Cale’s work shows a personal, intense connection to place. It results from a long commitment to landscape, culture, and sensitivity.

The 168-page coffee-table book, with his images and words, is rather bravely self-published.

And throughout the book, there are informative captions: “Located at Wadjemup’s easternmost point, it highlights the island’s previous connection to the mainland. Prior to sea levels rising around 6500 years ago, Whadjuk people crossed the coastal plain on foot, with chert artifacts found on the island dating Aboriginal occupation back almost 5000 years.”

Cale also covers more contemporary culture, tracing Rottnest’s surfing history back to the 1950s, “when adventurous Perth surfers first paddled their longboards across from the mainland. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the renowned peak at Strickland Bay was regularly ridden. Once used as a site for top-tier competitive surfing, early local Offshore Boardriders Club projects included building the shelter, dune restoration work, and forming clear beach access.”

The book is $39.95 and can be bought at rottnestdreaming.com.au.