Documents 

Circus: The Australian Story is a large format book, soft cover, in full colour. This book represents the culmination of some four decades of research into an area of modern Australia’s history, previously uncharted.

In nearly 300 pages and accompanied by as many images, Circus: The Australian Story traces the history of the circus in Australia from its ancient, medieval and London roots, to the first exhibitions in the colonies in the 1830s and 40s and through its subsequent growth, decline and recent renaissance.

The book gives considerable attention to the rich exchange of circus between Australia and the USA, Japan and other countries. It identifies Australia’s great contributions to the international annals of the circus.

A closing chapter surveys the emergence of a contemporary circus industry and the establishment of federally-funded National Institute of Circus Arts. [editor summary]