Boandik Stories in Print – Uncle Ken’s Books in the History of the First Australians Series

Uncle Ken Jones has spent decades sharing Boandik culture on Country and in 2020, that work was captured in print. His stories were published as part of the History of the First Australians series (Set 3), a 60-book collection designed to bring Aboriginal voices and perspectives into Australian classrooms.

Uncle Ken’s contributions include three titles:

• Growing Up on Boandik Country

• Fishing Yarns

• Caring for Country

Each book is based on Ken’s lived experience, combining personal memory with cultural teaching. The stories were adapted for primary school readers, ensuring that the lessons of Boandik life, from environmental stewardship to kinship systems, could be accessed by students around Australia.

In Growing Up on Boandik Country, Uncle Ken recounts his childhood near Eight Mile Creek, where he learned to read the land and sea, forage for bush tucker, and live in rhythm with the seasons.

In Fishing Yarns, he shares early memories of crayfishing and the sense of community that came with it. 

Caring for Country weaves together the values he learned from his father and grandparents, values he still teaches today through Bush Adventures and Bush Repair.

These books aren’t just stories. They’re acts of cultural preservation and educational advocacy. They reflect Uncle Ken’s lifelong commitment to teaching Australians, especially young Australians, that Indigenous knowledge is not just historical; it’s living, relevant, and essential.

The inclusion of his work in this nationally distributed series is a powerful step forward for truth-telling in classrooms. It ensures that students don’t just learn about the Boandik people in abstract terms — they hear directly from an Elder who is both a culture-bearer and a community leader.

Uncle Ken has described the writing process as challenging but meaningful. Every line had to carry weight. Every drawing had to honour the textures of place. In doing so, he created books that feel both intimate and instructive, the kind you remember long after the final page.

As part of the Our Stories initiative, the books are aligned with the Australian Curriculum and are available for schools, libraries, and individuals across the country. For Uncle Ken, it’s one more way to ensure that Boandik wisdom continues to flow, from generation to generation.

Learn more or purchase here: Network Educational Australia – History of the First Australians Series