Big Sky by Bruce Pascoe

Big Sky, when the emu left the earth is an exquisite conversation of sky knowledge between Aboriginal farmer and award-winning writer Bruce Pascoe and astrophysicist Professor Ray Norris.

This meeting of science and philosophy, tempered by holistic knowledge gained from deep observation over a millennia offers a philosophy of peace for our age. It reframes astronomy not only as a science but as ethics and Law in our heavens. This dialogue places First Nations beliefs as rigorous, enduring knowledge, offering ecological and astronomical insights which could help navigate current climate threats. From Magabala s First Nations, First Knowledges series.

About the Author: Bruce Pascoe is an Aboriginal farmer and writer of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays and children’s literature, based on Yuin Country. His publications have won numerous awards including the NSW Premier’s Award for Literature, the Booksellers Association Prize and the CBCA Non-fiction award. He is the author of the groundbreaking, bestselling book Dark Emu.

Professor Ray Norris is a retired Professor and an Honorary Fellow at CSIRO Space & Astronomy, and researches the evolution of the universe using radio telescopes. For the past 20 years he has studied the astronomy of Indigenous Australians and is fascinated by their many intellectual achievements as they sought to understand their universe, and by the way that astronomy is deeply intertwined with culture.

07 Apr 2026

Big Sky: When the Emu Left the Earth by Bruce Pascoe ISBN 9781922864376