A cultural history of the Australian landscape: the long hot summer

A series in four parts: In this second program, scientists – and artists – discover the desert as a place worth studying and exploring, in and of itself. When did the desert change from being considered a place of little aesthetic value, to a place that spoke volumes to artists and writers? The two world wars triggered both creative Australians and scientists to want to find out more. We also hear from a fascinating collection of desert-dwellers about the unique experiences and histories that shaped their lives in the centre of the continent over the past 80 years.