Cartoons can give us a pictorial history of Australia in a series of cartoon ‘time capsules’; they often hold a mirror up to Australian society. This book shows how cartoonists helped develop a visual vocabulary for Australian life and culture—whether it is ‘The Little Boy from Manly’, a larrikin digger or Tony Abbott’s red speedos.

Inked: Australian Cartoons presents a selection of thought-provoking cartoons from the National Library of Australia’s extensive archive, covering topics from the First Fleet to the present day. The book shows readers the breadth of Australia’s cartooning history, from historic subjects such as convict life, the goldfields, early royal visits and Ashes crickets tests, through the cartoon greats such as Will Dyson, Bruce Petty, Michael Leunig, to contemporary cartoons by significant artists such as David Pope, Jon Kudelka, Judy Horacek, Cathy Wilcox and David Rowe.

Inked shows how the role of cartoonists has shifted from illustrator to commentator, skilfully capturing the controversial topics of the day. Author Guy Hansen shows how whether it be post-war politics and the demise of the Labor government, capital punishment, the Vietnam War, Indigenous affairs or changing relationships with Britain and Asia, nothing has escaped our skilled cartoonists’ satirical pens.