Millions of years ago, widespread volcano eruptions in eastern Australia buried entire forests. Today, these time capsules reveal stunningly fossilised plants.

Without insects to feed on them the plants spread, uncontrolled, to cover more than 60 million acres of eastern Australia by the 1920s. Poison, crushing and fire failed to stop the cactus.

Despite making up less than 1% of Australia’s land area, at least 25% of Australia’s plant species inhabit these coastal islands.

Botany of Cook's First Voyage. Illustrations of Australian Plants. By Sir Joseph Banks Dr. D. Solander Part iii. Pp. iv + 25; with 75 plates. (Trustees of the British Museum, 1905.) Price 25s.