A COUNTRY OF THE MIND

We know a lot about the natural history of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. We know nothing about its human history. 

In this website, Professor Iain McCalman travels the length and breadth of the Great Barrier Reef to uncover the human history of the world’s greatest marine environment. 

From its first inhabitants to Captain Cook, from Castaways to Climate Change this website explores the extraordinary story of how human beings shaped the history of the Great Barrier Reef and how Australia as a nation has been shaped by it.  

Featuring short films shot on location, photo essays, interviews and other media, ‘The Reef’ is a unique site about an extraordinary place.