The image of the child lost in the Bush became a central theme in the Australian colonial experienceeven though there were any number of more likely, and more gruesome ways a child could come to harmand it has played a powerful part in the Australian imagination ever since. By using actual incidents of lost children and, where possible, the voices of those involved, the author gives the reader a sense of direct experience and provides intriguing insights into the domestic lives of Australia's colonial settlers and our changing attitudes towards children and childhood. These stories and their accompanying illustrations are drawn from popular journals, contemporary newspaper accounts and films, as well as from diaries and letters, many of which have not previously appeared in general publications. These fascinating stories also provide us with insights into the relationship between Europeans and Aborigines. Aboriginal people were associated with the dangers inherent in the Bush as well