For the first time Australia’s coast has been documented in depth, in the book The Coast of Australia, a comprehensive examination of Australia’s 36,000km of shoreline, launched at Bondi Beach.

The beautifully illustrated hardcover, by Sydney University’s Honorary Professor Andy Short and published by Cambridge University Press, documents the evolving nature of Australia’s coast, from its early formation through to modern day developments.

“The book is the product of 30 years of study,” says Professor Short, a leading expert best known for his recent work on the impact of rising sea levels on our beaches. “No-one’s ever looked at this to such a massive extent.”

Professor Short and Professor Colin Woodroffe from the University of Wollongong cover many previously undocumented areas. “Most of the coast is unvisited,” says Professor Short. “I think Australians would be surprised to learn that the typical Australian beach has no name and no access.

“Twenty five per cent of beaches are accessible by car along a sealed road, 14 per cent are accessible by four wheel drive and 55 per cent aren’t accessible at all.”

Professor Short, who has a cache of 4,000 photos, supplied most of the photos in the book. “Every time I’ve gone somewhere I’ve taken a photo. I’ve flown over the coast in planes and taken photos.”

The book provides a detailed description of the coast’s evolution and ecosystem, with chapters on rivers and estuaries, coral reefs, human impacts. “Anyone who reads this will come away with a very, very good understanding of the Australian coastline,” Professor Short says.

“The final chapter is on human impact, and it looks at hot spots and areas at potential risk from climate change, such as property at risk due to erosion: areas like Cairns and the Gold Coast, Adelaide, the south west coast, the New South Wales Coast.

“The last chapter looks at the human impact and also the history of human impacts along the coastline – from the Aboriginal people, to European settlement, all the way right through to today.”

Professor Short believes more coastal national parks are needed to provide public access: as long as development is controlled. “I think most of the coast will stay undeveloped in the foreseeable future. We’ve got plenty of accessible beaches to satisfy the public.”