Dean Haley launched his new book, ‘The Honey of Australian Native Stingless Bees” in August at Brisbane’s Avid Reader (awarded bookshop of the year at the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards).
The event was popular with a buzzy In store crowd as well as a solid Zoom online attendance. Dean was Interviewed in conversation with Tim Heard. They discussed many things native bee and honey related. The discussion covered recent research into the health benefits and antimicrobial properties of the honey and of course the amazing flavours. We spoke for a bit about the book writing experience. The lively question time was followed by book signing.
The Honey of Australian Native Stingless Bees is variously described as Interesting, Beautiful, In-formative and Imaginative. Readers remark that while it is factual and well presented, this book is also satisfyingly human and personal. The sections on Indigenous Australian knowledge, and Bee-keeper stories are particularly liked.
While once little known and shrouded in mystery, our native ‘sugarbag’ bees have now become very popular. There are thousands of hives sold each year to schools, families, orchards and farms. This book provides insights for utilising this wealth of bees to extract their unique and amazing honey. This book is relevant if you have just one, or many hundreds of hives. This book is about sugarbag bees, their honey, and the people who love them. It offers a glimpse of Aboriginal connectedness, and early Europe-an history. It covers food safety laws, and stingless bee innovations in other countries. A feature of the work is its rich illustrations and stunning photographs.
Dean helped found the Brisbane Native Beekeepers Club 5 years ago, which later grew to become the national native bee association (ANBA). Dean has helped to organise two Australian native bee conferences, is the current Chair of the Brisbane branch of the ANBA, and the Chair of the ANBA honey committee. He loves to be involved with community, and to help people discover the joy of bees.