Cockington has produced an admirable series of books on the less celebrated moments in Australian history, and continues the trend in "History happened here", covering the otherwise nondescript locales around Australia that played host to important events, like the Sydney hotel that played host to the Russian diplomat and defector Vladimir Petrov, the suburban Adelaide hideout of Great Train robber Ronnie Biggs hideaway house in Glenelg North, comedian Tony Hancock's suicide spot, the site in western Sydney where soldiers rioted in World War I, old Darwin Gaol which was bombed by the Japanese in 1942 and an old favorite mystery of mine, the venue for the Bogle-Chandler New Year's Eve party.

Some stories are better than others but "History happened here" is sure worth a read. ( )