This beautiful and informative volume, inspired by colour paintings, illustrations and ephemera produced a hundred years ago, offers its readers a new way of looking at the sights and social history of the newly federated and thriving nation that was Australia in the early years of the twentieth century.

Percy Spence's vibrant paintings show the nation in its innocent, golden years, full of optimism, promise and enchantment, while the readable, informative new text provides a fascinating commentary on the lives and aspirations of our Australian predecessors.