Ken Spillman writes history in a marvellously lucid style, one enhanced further by a keen turn of phrase, or sharp observation, at an appropriate moment in the narrative.
Rod Moran, The West Australian
Ken Spillman’s first book, an enduringly popular work of social history, set a new benchmark in the genre and was the winner of a FAW National Literary Award and a WA Premier’s Award for Non Fiction.
Known for 50 years as the Agricultural Bank, the R&I Bank played a central role in the development of Western Australia’s agricultural industry. Ken Spillman’s history of the institution that became Bankwest is told in immaculate prose and given a human texture through the use of oral history material.
Western Australia is one of the richest mineral provinces in the world. This richly illustrated book offers a thoroughly researched account of mineral discoveries, mining people, and the operation and governance of an industry that is today worth billions.
Life was Meant to be Here: Community and Local Government in the Shire of Mundaring
The picturesque Shire of Mundaring, located to Perth’s east in Western Australia, offers a mix of urban, semi-rural and rural living. In this illuminating book, Ken Spillman reviews a remarkable half century of change.
This is the story of a hospital and its people. Ken Spillman’s account traces the growth of a small chest hospital to its present status as one of the most significant general hospitals in the southern hemisphere.
Ken Spillman’s skills as a historian bring to life the story of ‘Charlies’ and the people who passed through its doors.
— Emeritus Professor G.C. Bolton AO
A lively examination of Australian rural life across six decades, Hands to the Plough reaffirmed Ken Spillman’s reputation as a first-rate chronicler of human endeavour and the resilience afforded by community spirit.
A lavish celebration of one of Australia’s most charming and progressive urban areas. In re-examining an area he first wrote about in Identity Prized, Ken Spillman reveals the struggles behind the metamorphosis of an inner-city area and the redevelopment of derelict industrial land.
Between 1995 and 2005, Edith Cowan University underwent a remarkable transformation. It shed a lamentable public image and won recognition for enterprise and innovation. Ken Spillman’s book stands as a guide for leaders interested in strategic planning, organisational creativity and continuous quality improvement.
Founded in the 1930s, the Australian Pensioners’ League built a tradition of articulating the interests of seniors while facilitating the delivery of much needed services. This book tells the human story, and describes the growth of the league into a 21st Century organisation representing a diverse membership.
Japan’s giant Tokyu Corporation invested in a vast tract of land near Western Australia’s capital city in 1974. For over thirty years it pursued its vision of an idyllic seaside settlement and provided many thousands of people with memories to cherish.
In this book, Ken Spillman, Jasmina Brankovich and John McIlwraith tell the story of a unique statutory authority which has facilitated an enormous diversity of applied research projects, providing a nexus between academic research and mining and energy industry requirements.
Ken Spillman examines dance education in Western Australia through this study of the state’s foremost balllet school across a quarter of a century. The book celebrates the achievements of many international dance performers and teachers.
