OUTBACK Magazine OUTBACK 159 Edizione posteriore

There’s no doubt that fires make a terrible enemy, as indiscriminate bushfires in Australia – and other parts of the world – continue to show us. But for most of our lives, they are a warm and comforting friend, from the candles on a birthday cake to the glowing coals of a campfire on a cool night. In some First Nations cultures in Australia, almost from their first breath, a child may be ‘cleansed’ in gum leaf smoke, in a ceremony to protect them. In the new issue of OUTBACK we take a long, hard look at the many uses and impacts of fire across our blaze-prone nation. It’s a fascinating and somewhat confronting read. Other highlights in this jam-packed issue include bull catching in the Kimberley, WA; Jimmy Sharman’s historic boxing tent; and a journey by an outback legend in the footsteps of controversial explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.