This is a scholarly work of interest to teacher trainers and trainees, to sociology and history lecturers and to students of educational and social policies in former British colonies. It provides a concise overview of two hundred years of colonial and post-colonial education and simply captures and reports the major socio-economic features which have spurred educational changes since the establishment of state education in Australia. An important aspect of Dr. Boufoy-Bastick's work is that it brings to light some simplifying principles for integrating salient socio-historical changes for the investigation of current and future changes in education.