Lloyd O’Neil: Australia in Colour

Lloyd O’Neil is a significant figure in the history and development of the Australian publishing industry. He was nationalistic and had a lifelong passion for publishing Australian stories. In his attempt to fulfil this desire, O’Neil innovated by publishing high-quality books at cheaper prices for a market eager to see itself reflected in Australian literature and illustrated books. This chapter focuses on O’Neil, the publisher, and his publication Australia in Colour in 1963. The book’s full-colour images depicting the Australian outback and urban landscapes tapped into the public psyche of a nation questioning its post-war national identity. As the first commercially successful Australiana coffee-table book, Australia in Colour tells the story of Lloyd O’Neil’s bold move of travelling to Japan to seek more cost-effective, high-quality colour printing. The book proved to be a turning point for independent Australian publishers and played a central role in the development of a more viable Australian publishing industry.