The sold-out book on the islands of the South Coast of NSW has supported NPA’s marine campaign and is now available again.
By author Helen Moody
One Sunday in 2018 a group of walkers from the National Parks Association Milton Branch stopped at the Wasp Head lookout in Murramarang National Park. Questions were asked about the two islands we could see – what they were called, who named them, why they were nature reserves. These questions had been raised each time we had walked here, so this time I decided to do a little bit of research to find some answers. Little did I know then that the ‘little bit of research’ would become a five year project – leading walks and paddles past 61 islands; writing and self-publishing a book about the islands; selling out the book in five weeks; and finding a publisher who is now marketing a second print run of the book.
Identifying the islands
With the help of Mike Jefferis, another activity leader in our local NPA branch, we started by identifying all the islands between the Shoalhaven River and the Victorian border. The number kept increasing as we searched more maps. Ultimately we identified 20 coastal islands and 41 in the estuaries and rivers open to the ocean. Over three years, with numerous interruptions from bushfires, Covid lockdowns, torrential rain events and National Park closures, we led walks and kayak trips to, past, or around every island.
Flying under the radar
Nearly all the islands are small and uninhabited; most are less than 10 hectares, some are mere specks on a map. With the exception of Barunguba Montague Island and Broulee Island, there was very little readily available information on any of them. Most people wouldn’t be able to name a handful of them, perhaps not even be aware of their existence. Yet each island has something special about it. Several are wildlife havens with significant biodiversity values. Some have an ancient and ongoing spiritual significance to Aboriginal people. Some have fascinating connections to early explorers and settlers.
Searching for information
I spent two years visiting State Archives and libraries, trawling the Internet for any scraps of information, reading scientific studies on bird and plant life on the islands and interviewing anyone I could find with firsthand knowledge of the islands. Mike contributed the geology sections and some of the bird sections and did a first draft of the maps of each excursion.
The challenge of self-publishing
Writing the book was the relatively easy part. Self-publishing it was much more challenging. Finding and funding top quality photographs, a designer, an editor, a proofreader and a printer was a totally new experience. If luck enabled me to find a fabulous team, who turned my manuscript into a beautiful looking book; the funding process was a miracle. A kayaking pal offered me a $10,000 donation out of the blue; a long lost school friend with a passion for history added to the kitty; NPA Milton donated the funds of an annual fundraising dinner, and Shoalhaven City Council provided a small tourism grant. Over 20 people donated photographs for the book.
A miraculous response
While I wrestled with the decision on how many books to print and fretted that I might have books under my bed for the next five years, I was buoyed by receiving over 400 pre-orders. And totally amazed that the 750 copies we printed sold out in five weeks. It turns out that many people love our little islands, or were at least curious to find out about them.
Donating the profits
Given the donations and grants received, we have been able to give all profits from sales to environmental projects. $8,000 was donated to NPA NSW and I requested it be used for their marine campaign. I have been told it will be used to help print, distribute and promote the report by Professor David Booth and Giglia A. Beretta, Creating a world class Marine Protected Area system – getting New South Wales back on track, known as the ‘Booth Report’, which was launched on 18 October. The remaining $18,000 profits will be distributed in early 2024.
Second print run now available
Many individuals and bookshops requested books after it sold out, but pure exhaustion prevented me from taking on a second print run. I approached just two potential publishers to take over the book, and to my delight, a small South Coast publisher that focuses on environmental books took over as publisher of the book. The book is now available again and costs $55. It can be purchased from bookshops (ask your local bookshop to stock it) or on-line from http://www.envirobook.com.au/