The Vanished Land

The Vanished Land is the Western District of Victoria stripped of its identity, its social elite of grazing dynasties departed for their own reasons. This melancholy exodus has increased recently as the myriad pressures of holding inherited land have become intolerable in a nation never intimidated by ditching its past. No longer is the Western District home of a ruling class that for 150 years bestrode an Australia riding on the sheep’s back.

The Vanished Land is a human tale of leaving, of a disconnect with the land, of submerged anguish and inhibited grief, a private story of loss told for the first time by an outsider with insider connection.

Praise for The Vanished Land: 'At the heart of this personally researched and vividly written book, as well as rollicking stories some of the old families wouldn't want told, there is a yearning for a place and time that Zachariah discovered and lived as a boy.' - Tony Wright, Age

Richard Zachariah spent many years of his youth in the Western District of Victoria, attending Hamilton College and moving among many of the families in the area. He has been a journalist, broadcaster and television host, becoming a well-known media identity, and is a lifelong racing fanatic. He has lived in London, Sydney and Melbourne, and now lives in South Australia with his partner, Sarah, on a vineyard and horse breeding property in the Adelaide Hills.