New release: Endangered Grasslands by K. A. Raulings

Oct 31, 2025 | All Articles, Guides, Research

Endangered Grasslands book

ENDANGERED GRASSLANDS BY K. A. RAULINGS

Endangered Grasslands by K. A. Raulings explains how our beautiful native temperate grasslands of south-eastern Australia have been impacted by colonisation and why they need rescuing. By referencing the latest research and with a plant directory of over 50 species, this book covers restoration strategies and current uses. It is a must read for nature lovers, conservationists, gardeners, landscapers, farmers and everyone who cares about the environment.

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“‘Endangered Grasslands: Rescuing the native temperate grasslands of south-eastern Australia’ is a fascinating insight into the once widespread, but now much changed, temperate grasslands…It is a valuable and timely book; it beckons us to do better—to recognise the significance of grasslands, to protect what we have and restore them on larger scales, before it is too late.”
John Morgan,

Department of Ecological, Plant and Animals Sciences, La Trobe University

About the Author

Kath Raulings has always been passionate about our natural environment stemming from her professional life teaching Geography, English and History. In later life, she completed a Master of Arts degree at Monash University in environmental history. Her latest publication uses current research about grasslands in a way that makes the information readily accessible for everyone. She lives in Bayside Melbourne and enjoys growing native grasses and flowers from the grasslands.

A Look Inside the Book

PART ONE
Why native grasslands are endangered and how this happened.
Chapter 1. The evolution of grasslands
The grassland landscapes of south-eastern Australia had their origins in the deep past. The Eastern Highlands of Australia were formed under the oceans about 520 million years ago…
Chapter 2. Shifting landscape perceptions
When Europeans arrived in Australia to settle, colonial officials wanted to know where the rivers went and what lay beyond what was immediately known…
Chapter 3. Renaming and displacement
An oil painting in the Warrnambool Art Gallery, Minjah in the Old Time by colonial artist Robert Dowling, encapsulates the poignant and tragic story of what happened to Aboriginal people of the Western District of Victoria, a plight that was repeated across the grasslands…
Chapter 4. Pastoralists and selectors
During the early years of European occupation, grasslands were seen as a wasteland ripe for improvement. Bill Ramson, founding editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, traced the evolution of words relating to the Australian environment over a period of 200 years…
Chapter 5. Threats to grasslands
Grasslands cover about 30 per cent of terrestrial habitats on earth, providing a huge range of ecosystem services for humanity that are often under-recognised…
PART TWO
Grasslands can be rescued
Chapter 6. Some grass botany
Grasses belong to the Poaceae family, a genus of more than 10,000 species, one of the largest families of flowering plants on earth…
Chapter 7. Restoration and revegetation
There has been an incredible loss of indigenous grassland habitat as a consequence of colonisation. The First Nations peole were dispossessed, experiencing the loss of their enivronmental management skills and the imposition of European pastoral and agricultural practices…
Chapter 8. Regenerative farming
Regenerative farming is gaining traction in Australia as many farmers realise that they are unable to continue farming the way their forebears have done for generations…
Chapter 9. Native grass pastures
European newcomers to Australia introduced new grasses when native grass pastures began to fail or were eaten out. Newspapers of the 1840s report the importation of ryegrass seed from Tasmania to Port Phillip,…
Chapter 10. Landscaping, gardening, lawns
When the British settled Australia, they began altering the landscape, influenced by both their personal preferences and cultural backgrounds…
Chapter 11. Plant directory
A comprehensive guide to native grasses, outlining their distribution, characteristics, preferred habitats, tolerances, sowing methods, practical uses, and key cultivation notes.
Chapter 12. Practical information
The Australian native grasses of termperate south-eastern Australia can be grown directly from seed or planted from tubestock…
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