The Great Artesian Basin conjures up images of unbounded supplies of underground water providing the needs for our vast outback. But it is much more complex and interesting than that. The Basin began about 200 million years ago, and then for more than 100 million years much of our continent was covered by vast river plains and inland seas, swarming with ancient life. When the seas dried away, the rocks that had been deposited were deeply weathered and leached, and old land surfaces with hard caps formed, remnants of which can still be seen today. Petroleum, coal and gas resources occur in its rocks, other minerals are extracted, and precious opals are mined at several colourful towns. There are records of huge asteroid impacts, and interesting fossils of dinosaurs are being found and displayed. How did the Basin originate, and how did the underground water and other minerals come to be there, and how they are extracted? This handbook has chapters explaining this Great Artesian Basin in all its aspects, and describes what can be seen when travelling across its vast distances, particularly in Queensland. The clear non-technical treatment makes the book a must for visitors and locals alike, as well as teachers and students. It extends the coverage of previous Rocks and Landscapes books on the eastern parts of Queensland.