THERE have been many books written on the unique, stand-out qualities of Sutherland Shire.
But a book published this month looks at the history of the shire in a global, Australian and local context.
The Shire: A Journey Through Time has been written by Sutherland Shire Historical Society president Bruce Watt.
It is a labour of love for Mr Watt, who has lived in the shire for 40 years and is a former secondary school head teacher at many metropolitan and shire schools including Sylvania, Heathcote and Port Hacking.
His book is a sweeping look at the shire from prehistory up to the present.
Mr Watt calls it a history, a genealogy, a portrait and a sketch.
"It's not just a local history. It's an intimate portrait," he said.
"It's a love story and a warts-and-all-story, with many rare and not-so-rare images."
The book includes the stories of many famous people and incidents including those of Joe Monro MP, Donald McKay explorer, Thomas Ley the MP who was known as the "Minister for Murder" who murdered several opponents.
"Importantly, it tells the Aboriginal story with a chapter on the Dharawal people," Mr Watt said."
This includes the haunting legend of an Aboriginal tribe killed when a cave collapsed on them.
"It was supposed to have happened in pre-Cook time, about 130 years ago in 1750.
"They were travelling back from a corroboree on the South Coast when a storm came and they sheltered in a cave in the shire that was struck by lightning and collapsed, sealing them inside.
"The story was handed down from one generation to the next and a local Aboriginal woman, Biddy Childs pointed to a cave at Tyrrell Point as the site of the tragedy.
"In 1918, some people dynamited the cave at Tyrrell Point. Inside they found many bones of men women and children which verified the legend."
The book tells of the influx of people from St George who flooded into the shire in the 1950s when it was viewed as the working man's paradise.
"There were also a lot of nasty things, the Bali Bombings where eight shire people were killed, and the so-called "Cronulla riots".
"I wanted to write a story where people can learn everything about the shire in one go.
"It is more than just the birthplace of modern Australia but part of a much broader canvas."
Available at Village News and Studio Boutique, both at Caringbah Village, and the Best Little Bookshop in Town, Cronulla, or 14theshire@gmail.com.
