Book excerpt: A history of landscape architecture in Australia, this book profiles the people who have shaped the nation's landscape and forged a profession: designers, architects, public servants, and activists. Using archival images and plans, it recounts milestones, including the creation of Melbourne's public parks and gardens, the landscaping of Canberra's open spaces, the design of infrastructure in Western Australia, and the reclaiming of Sydney's harbor foreshores. This account also shares describes how the distinctive shapes and forms of the landscapes that make Australian cities were determined.