Australia is massive, and very sparsely peopled: in size it rivals the USA, yet its population is just over eighteen million – little more than that of the Netherlands. This is an ancient land, and often looks it: in places, it’s the most eroded, denuded and driest of continents, with much of central and western Australia – the bulk of the country – overwhelmingly arid and flat. In contrast, its cities – most of which were founded as recently as the mid-nineteenth century – express a youthful energy.