This book is written by Peter Macinnis, the recipient of the Eve Pownall award in the 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards for the sister publication, Australian Backyard Explorer. In Australian Backyard Naturalist, Peter enthusiastically explores the animals that inhabit the places in which we live, from the furry to the slimy, the large to the tiny. He keeps readers entertained with stories about his own adventures with Australias creepy crawlies and other creatures, as well as collectors and naturalists stories from the times of first European settlement to recent times.