books that take place in Australia

21 BEST Books That Take Place in Australia

Looking for books that take place in Australia? I’ve got you covered.

Having spent a year backpacking around Australia, working in different capacities – I fell in love with the country and its diverse landscapes; vast deserts, coastal cities and unique attractions.

I read 5-6 books every month, and particularly enjoy books that bring me back to Australia.

I’ve gathered up a list of the best books set in Australia here that are based on:

  • Public ratings on Goodreads and Amazon (I displayed the Amazon rating below which usually tends to be more generous, but I always looked at the Goodreads rating too)
  • My own unbiased opinions of the books
  • Impressions from other readers that I’ve read some of these books with in book clubs

Reading books set in Australia gives you a chance to explore the country’s outback, remote towns, settlement history, Aboriginal culture and many modern-day issues as well.

So here we have it – these are the 21 best books that take place in Australia!

21 Best Books Set in Australia

1. Birds in Flight

By: Ann Taylor
Publication Date: 2023
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Birds in Flight takes place in a fictional Sunshine Coast town called Nautilus Bay, which is a 2-hour drive from Brisbane.

birds in flight book cover

It deals with a 20+ year unsolved disappearance of a mother and a little girl in the Australian Everglades (one of only two Everglades in the world – the other is in Florida.)

In modern day, the main character is living in the US, but she travels back to Australia with her 12-year-old son when new information is uncovered about the disappearance.

I don’t want to spoil the details surrounding it – but the book involves a road trip along the east coast of Australia, and has beautiful and realistic descriptions of what it’s like today.

Interesting fact: The author of Birds in Flight, Anni Taylor is from Australia (born in Sydney) and specializes in suspense fiction. She has several other Australia-based books that are well rated too! The Game You Played, and One Last Child seem to be her most popular books

2. Homecoming

By: Kate Morton
Publication Date: 2023
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

Homecoming is another mystery-suspense book set in a fictional town Tumbilla, located in the Adelaide Hills (Australian wine region) in South Australia.

There are some short snippets that bring you to Queensland as well.

homecoming by kate morton

I personally loved this book, and if you know Kate Morton as a writer you may know that her books are very detailed.

So, it’s a long book with lots of details about the unsolved (possible) murder case, and whether it was suicide, an accident or murder.

I personally loved Homecoming and would recommend it if you love a good mystery and love to look at a bunch of facts and try to figure it out for yourself.

Interesting fact: Kate Morton is a native of South Australia and has several bestselling books (not all her books take place in Australia however.)

3. The Thorn Birds

By: Colleen McCullough
Publication Date: 1977
Genre: Novel, Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)

The Thorn Birds is a 1970s Australian classic that is still one of the best selling books of all time in Australia – so it would be almost a crime to not include it in this list.

the thorn birds

I was surprised to hear only recently of The Thorn Birds. I read it really enjoyed it. The cover looks like a silly romance book, but the story is much more than that.

It follows a family from the early 1900s to the 1970s.

So, the little kids at the start of the book are in their older age by the end of the book. I really enjoyed reading this family saga, and I felt drawn in and I can definitely see why it was so popular and why it was turned into a TV show.

One of the main characters is Australian and pursues becoming a cardinal, so there are parts of the book that take place in Italy too.

Interesting fact: The majority of the book is set in South Australia, and there are parts in Queensland as well. If you want to read about the experience of living in the Australian remote towns and wilderness, especially the difference in climate and historical events that effected Australian citizens, then this is a must-read.

4. The Exiles

By: Christina Kline
Publication Date: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

The Exiles is a really novel book about criminals (exiles) from England who were sent to live in Australia in the 1800s. This book focuses on women who were shipped to Australia.

the exhiles

The female criminals in this book are exiled to Australia for very minor things, that today wouldn’t be considered crimes at all.

The book deals with:

  • the developing friendships of the women in the book
  • their arrival in Australia
  • the impact of this emigration on Aboriginal people who had been inhabiting the land for thousands of years prior
  • there is a story of an Aboriginal girl

The Exiles details personal stories of women that are based on true events, and is an important read to delve more into Australia’s history and feminism. I highly recommend it!

5. February Dragon

By: Colin Thiele
Publication Date: 1966
Genre: Fiction, YA
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

February Dragon is a Young Adult classic from the 1960s, about the lives of three Australian youths who have their lives turned upside down after a bushfire.

The bushfire is named “February Dragon”, which is why its the title of the book. (February is summer in Australia and when bush fires are most common.)

the february dragon

The February dragon in the book is fictional, but its based on true events of real devastating bushfires that took place in the 1800s.

It’s a sad story, as you can imagine. The three main characters are siblings, and they lose everything – their home, and arm located in the Australian Outback from this fire.

Overall, its a good book for kids or adults. For adults, it’ll be a quick but eye-opening read.

Interesting facts: Colin Thiele, the author was known for his children’s literature. February Dragon is one of his best books, some other popular ones were Storm Boy and Sun on the Stubble (both of which are set in South Australia.)

6. A Drop in the Ocean

By: Jenni Ogden
Publication Date: 2016
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

A Drop in the Ocean has won a lengthy list of awards. Its the perfect book for you if you’re a nature and animal lover and care about the environment.

It’s about an American neuroscientist (49 year old woman) studying Huntingtin’ Disease who takes up residence near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef after things go downhill with her work back home.

a drop in the ocean

There she ends up discovering nesting sea turtles, and becomes close to another scientist (a ‘turtle whisperer.’)

Interesting fact: The author, Jenni Ogden, is a scientist from New Zealand who has lived in both Australia and America. She brings a lot of knowledge to the table about Huntingtin’s, which is a central theme in the book – as well as knowledge of turtles, and the incredible landscape of the Great Barrier Reef.

7. The Light Between Oceans

By: M.L. Stedman
Publication Date: 2012
Genre: Novel, Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

The Light Between Oceans takes place in Perth, Western Australia and surrounding areas.

It’s actually very controversial theme, which makes it a really good book club book. I have no doubt that when you’re finished reading this, you’ll want to discuss the issue and the outcome with someone else.

light between oceans

It’s the kind of book that almost everyone will have an opinion on one way or another. I know how I felt, but several others in my book club felt differently from how I did.

It’s basically about a lighthouse keeper who lives on a lighthouse on the archipelago of southwestern Austtralia. A baby and a deceased man wash up on shore one day, and they decide to raise the baby as their own.

This ends up being a highly controversial decision, especially after they find out the truth about where the baby came from.

It wasn’t my favourite book set in Australia, but it was interesting. It’s also one of the few books I’ve read that takes place in Perth.

Intereting fact: The author, M.L. Stedman, is from Western Australia

8. The White Girl

By: Tony Birch
Publication Date: 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)

The White Girl is an award-winning novel set in the 1960s deals with issues of racism and discrimination against the Aboriginals of Australia.

The main character is an Aboriginal woman named Odette and her granddaughter, Sissy.

the white girl

Sissy is the character that the title “white girl” is based on – she mysteriously has blonde hair and fair skin, which means they can only assume that her father must have been white.

Sissy’s mom is not in the picture, for reasons you won’t find out until later in the book.

Interesting fact: The author Tony Birch looks white, but has some Aboriginal background. He’s won awards and has several highly rated book which are set in Australia. Check other options out here.

9. Big Little Lies

By: Liane Moriarty
Publication Date: 2014
Genre: Novel, Mystery, Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

Big Little Lies is a highly popular (and now uber-famous) book set in Australia by Liane Moriarty from Sydney, and has been turned into a Netflix series.

If you’ve already read Big Little Lies, then I’d recommend any of Moriary’s other books; the majority of them take place in Australia.

Big little lies novel

Big Little Lies is by far, her best rated and most successful book but I’ve enjoyed some of the others almost just as much.

My second favourite book by Liane Moriarty is Nine Perfect Strangers, about a healing retreat set in the remote Australian wilderness.

10. In A Sunburned Country

By: Bill Bryson
Publication Date: 2000
Genre: Travel Literature, Nonfiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)

If you love Australia or are interested to learn more about what makes it such a unique country, then you should definitely read In A Sunburned Country.

sunburned country

If you’ve ever read a Bill Bryson book, you know that he has a good sense of humour and manages to always highlight really interesting things.

This book is non-fiction, and read a little bit like a travel memoir too.

11. Walkabout

By: James Vance Marshall
Publication Date: 1959
Genre: Fiction, Survival
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)

Walkabout is an Australian classic was written in the late 50s was actually been a required reading for school age kids in Australia, and a movie was made about it in the early 70s.

walkabout book cover

Walkabout is about children plane crash survivors in the Australian desert, and how they receive help from an Aboriginal boy in trying to survive the outback with limited food or water.

It’s not the highest rated on this list, but it

Interesting fact: Walkabout by James Vance Marshall should not be confused by another one of Bill Bryson’s Australia-based books which is also called Walkabout.

12. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

By: Holly Ringland
Publication Date: 2018
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is about an orphaned girl who goes to live on a flower farm after suffering a family tragedy.

lost flowers of alice heart book cover

This book is beautifully written, describing Australian native flowers, the desert, and the idyllic coastal town that the little girl originally came from before she moved to the flower farm.

There’s a lot of detail, backstory and characters in this book so it can be hard to follow and you definitely need to pay attention. The entire story spands about 20 years, and is a beautiful read if you get into it!

13. Between the Vines

By: Tricia Stringer
Publication Date: 2015
Genre: Romance, Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.2)

Between the Vines is a romance and mystery set in the Coonawarra vineyards in South Australia and in the small city of Adelaide.

between the vines book cover

It deals with the love life of the main character, who moves to Adelaide for a guy who she met while working on one of the vineyards in the Coonawarra region – but the guy has disappeared and it appears he may not be the kind of guy he presented himself to be.

Tricia Stringer has written a number of Australian best-sellers and this is one of her highest rated ones set primarily in Australia!

14. The Naturalist’s Daughter

By: Tea Cooper
Publication Date: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

The Naturalist’s Daughter is about two New South Wales women, living a whole century apart (1808 and 1908.)

the naturalist daughter book cover

The “naturalist” in the book is the father of the first young woman in 1808, who studies the pylatipus and does sketches of them.

A hundred years later, their sketchbook is found in the library by the second main character and there’s a whole mystery surrounding their findings in the book. It’s an interesting read!

It was really hard to decide whether to feature The Naturalist’s Daughter, or The Girl in the Painting for this list – the ratings for both books are almost identical!

The Girl in the Painting came out the year after and is Tea Cooper’s other most popular book.

the girl in the painting book cover

15. The Last Love Note

By: Emma Gray
Publication Date: 2023
Genre: Romance Novel, Humor, Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

The Last Love Note looks like a beach read from the cover, but is actually a pretty sad (but well written) book.

the last love note book cover

It’s about a widow and single mom who is processing grief of her young husband who passed. Grief is a big theme in the book.

In the book, events bring her to the east coast of Australia where she has a chance away from her child to process her feelings. The guy she’s stranded with seems to be hiding a secret. It’s a heavier read, not a light read.

16. A Town Like Alice

By: Nevil Shute
Publication Date: 1950
Genre: Novel, Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)

A Town Like Alice is an Australian classic by a famous best-selling author.

Its about a British woman living in Malaya (present day Malaysia) during WW2, when events bring her to the remote Australian outback.

a town like alice book cover

It’s definitely historical fiction, and tells parts of history that aren’t often discussed- such as the Japenese invasion of Malaysia, and the death march of many women and children through Malaysia.

So not all of the book takes place in Australia, but a good chunk of it does. A very thought provoking and interesting read.

17. The Last Of The Bonegilla Girls

By: Victoria Purman
Publication Date: 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)

The Last of the Bonegilla Girls is about women immigrants in Australian in the 1950s.

They’re all staying at a migrant camp in rural Victoria called Bonegilla Migrant Camp.

the last of the bonegilla girls book cover

The book is about the friendships, secrets and pasts of these women, and the struggle to build a prosperous life in post-war Australia.

Australian author Victoria Purman writes a lot of historical fiction set in Australia, another noteable one is The Nurse’s War which is about Australian nurses during WW2.

18. Lola in the Mirror

By: Trent Dalton
Publication Date: 2023
Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)

One trend I’ve noticed with books set in Australia is that several are about being people being on the run – it’s a common theme in a country so vast and easy to hide in.

Lola in the Mirror is about that – a mom and daughter from a very dysfunctional family, hiding from the police and everyone they know in a campground near Brisbane.

lola in the mirror book cover

This book shows you a different side to modern Australia, where quite a few people who are less fortunate are living full time in campgrounds; some which are not very well maintained are kept – and that’s their year-round residence.

I experienced this myself from travelling through Australia and staying at campgrounds. Some of them were made for tourists, and others (much less nice) for year-round residents.

Interesting fact: Trent Dalton, the author is Australian and came from a difficult childhood. He’s also famous for a novel that was semi-based on his own life, called Boy Swallows Universe (also takes place in Australia.)

boy swallows universe

19. Honeybee

By: Craig Silvey
Publication Date: 2020
Genre: Fiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Honeybee is another novel set in modern-day Australia which highlights issues such as drugs, poverty, and mental health issues.

It deals with the unlikely friendship by two men who were about to commit suicide on the same bridge at the same time – when they found each other: an older man named Vic and a teenage boy named Sam.

honeybee book cover

Some themes in Honeybee include:

  • mental health
  • friendship
  • single parenthood
  • coming of age
  • LGBT (the teenage boy is transgender)

The book is both heartbreaking, and uplifting and 100% worth a read!

21. Leviathan: The Unauthorized Biography of Sydney

By: John Birmingham
Publication Date: 2000
Genre: Nonfiction
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Leviathan: The Unauthorized Biography of Sydney is particularly a relevant book to read if you live in Sydney, have been there or are interested in learning about its complicated history.

leviathon book cover

Some of the themes in Leviathan the book are:

  • racism
  • crime, including organized crime
  • corruption
  • immigration and refugees
  • the bubonic plague of the early 1900s

Definitely consider reading this one if you plan to visit or have been to Sydney. It presents a completely different angle that you may not have known existed, and you’ll understand the Australia’s largest city so much better because of it.

Additional Australian Authored Books to Consider

Check out books written by Australians, or that are partially set in Australia.

  • Check out books by Charlotte McConaghy. She was born in Australia, and a lot of her best-selling books (Once There Were Wolves, Migrations) are partially set in Australia as well as northern countries like Scotland, Greenland and Canada
  • Find a list of prominent, world-famous Australian authors who have written best-sellers here (some of their books take place in Australia, although many don’t.)
The Great Ocean Road in Australia

Resources for Finding Books set in Australia

  • Dymocks is Australia’s largest bookstore chain. It’s Australia-owned and has been running for over 140 years. There are 50 locations throughout Australia. They have a rewards program. Some of their locations (such as the Sydney one) have a little cafe that you can sit in as you enjoy books
  • QBD is Australia’s largest online retailer of books. Usually you can get them a little bit cheaper than a Dymocks, since they don’t have brick-and-mortar locations.
  • Kinokuniya Book Store is the largest bookstore in Australia and is located in Sydney
  • If you’re in Australia, you can buy books online at Booko, Target, and Amazon.au. You can also get really good deals on second-hand books in Australia online by shopping at World of Books.au

Books Set in Australia FAQ

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about books set in Australia asked on Google

What Australian film is based on a book?

There have been Australian films that were based on books that were also set in Australia. You can find a long, long list of them here.

What is famous literature from Australia?

There are many classics that take place in Australia; some very famous ones that almost every Aussie has heard of are February Dragon, Walkabout and A Town Like Alice.

What novel is set in the Australian Outback?

There have been many novels set in the Australian outback, some which are classics and some which have come out in recent years. Some classics set in the Australian outback are Walkabout by James Vance,

Final Thoughts on Books Set in Australia

As you can see, books that take place in Australia have a wide variety of genres: there’s lots of historical fiction that talks about the settlement history, there are books that explore the Aboriginal culture of Australia, and books that tacks a variety of other modern issues facing the country today.

I hope that some of these books will take you through the rugged, red landscape of outback, through coastal cities and oceanside towns, and other diverse beauty of Australia.