Cats of Australia by Jodie Stewart

A funny, fascinating and affectionate journey through our love-hate relationship with cats by Australia’s only cat historian

Since the arrival of the First Fleet, cats have been loved, adored and celebrated while at the same time villainised, loathed, and maligned. For cats in Australia, it’s complicated.

The Cats of Australia explores our funny, fraught and fur-filled relationship with these enigmatic creatures since they first sailed to our shores. Cats have joined us on farms, shearing sheds, naval and merchant ships, hospitals, train stations, and corner shops. Cats ate ice creams with us on the beach, nursed soldiers back to health in World War I hospices, stood firm with their comrades on the picket lines and endured the savagery of war in the trenches.

Cats also inspired us to paint, write and create. They taught us how to care. And they’ve also inspired some of the fiercest debates about their impact on our precious native wildlife.

With affection, humour and a keen eye on the big moments in history, this book explores the rich history of Australia’s cats – how they’ve stolen our hearts, stirred our passions, and walked the fine line between beloved cuddler and ecological villain.

About the Author: Dr Jodie Stewart is a cat historian with an obsessive love for cats and Australian archives. An award-winning writer and academic, Jodie won the History Council of NSW Deen De Bortoli Award for Applied History as well as several other university awards, including the Professor Jim Hagan Memorial Prize for the most meritorious PhD thesis in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry. She has a PhD in history from the University of Wollongong and teaches classes in Australian and modern European history. She lives in Djiringanj country with her two cats, Poppy-girl and Catty, and her bull dog, Luna.

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26 May 2026
 

The Cats of Australia: From shipmates to soulmates and eco-villains – the complicated story of moggies Down Under by Jodie Stewart ISBN 9780733343957