Dingo by Roland Breckwoldt

Dingoes have been the scapegoat for sheep farmers’ financial struggles since the early colonial years. Governments have responded with bounties for killing dingoes, baiting programs, and thousands of kilometres of fences. The livestock industry claims dingoes are not genuine native animals, just feral domestic dogs. Dangerous interactions with tourists at campsites keep negative stories about dingoes in the news.

But the tide is turning. Science shows there’s little interbreeding with domestic dogs, and that dingoes play an integral role in maintaining ecological balance, including by keeping kangaroos and wild pigs and goats in check. Now dingo numbers are perilously low in many areas. Will Australia be willing to protect the dingo before it’s too late?

Roland Breckwoldt unravels the myths and prejudices to tell the true story of an Australian icon.

‘The dingo’s journey from cultural icon to outlaw and back again, is beautifully told’ – Justine Philip

‘A captivating account of the Australian dingo’ – Andrew Stoeckel

‘A fascinating insight into an often-misunderstood Australian icon.’ – David Lindenmayer

‘Dingo is a lens with which to examine and understand the damage that’s occurred to Australia’s environment and culture since European colonisation, and a call for a brighter, more sustainable future.’ – Euan G. Ritchie

‘Reveals the fascinating history of our unfolding love-hate relationship with the dingo’ – Ian J. McNiven

‘A must-read for anyone concerned with the future of dingoes in Australia’ – George Wilson

‘A provocative journey into the controversies and paradoxes that surround the dingo.’ – Mike Letnic

Australia’s dingoes are increasingly under threat of extinction after two centuries of mythmaking, bounties and poisoning. This is the real story of the dingo.

About the Author: Roland Breckwoldt worked on cattle stations before becoming a leading consultant in natural resource management and a recognised authority on the dingo. He was made a Fellow of the University of New England and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. He is the author of a memoir, The New Ringer, and of two books which have won the Royal Zoological Society Whitley Medal: Wildlife in the Home Paddock and The Dingo: A Very Elegant Animal.

29 Jul 2025
 

Dingo: The true story of Australia’s most maligned native animal by Roland Breckwoldt ISBN 9781761471179