The Australian Academy of Science celebrates and assesses two centuries of Australian science, as a contribution to the nation's bicentenary. Authors with wide-ranging fields of interest present a group of general surveys and case studies on the development of scientific understanding and research. Topics range from traditional Aboriginal conceptions of the workings of nature to the directions and priorities of the present day. Among issues the book addresses are the place of science in a colonial society; the relationship between science in Australia and elsewhere, especially Britain; the impact of war on the Australian scientific institutions. Published in association with the Australian Academy of Science.