To tell you truth I haven't really read anything written and published buy an Australian.  Sounds bad but most of my books are either from Great Britian or America.  You have put me on a mission now to discover any publication written buy Australians on Runes.

Odin (The Mouth), I have read several times in different publications either to do with Runes or Mythology.

Well, what I actually meant was that you probably read from English speaking countries' sources, like the UK, but may not have investigated the Scandinavian material as such, that's all.  I don't think Australia has any traditional history with the runes, not having an indigenous Northern European population.  I tend to be opinionated so that is my warning, I guess, and will just say things sometimes.  But anyway, I tend to lean toward the Scandinavian interpretation, although I am English on my Mom's side (although maybe I should say Mum's). There may be Australian authors, but I would focus on learning from traditions and interpretations from ancient Germania (which translates as modern day Iceland, Norway and England, primarily).

I just realised I have something from Ralph Blum which came with my first set of Runes.  Althought it is good for learning the meanings of the Runes I found it mainly one of those commerciallised blurbs which conflicted with most of babble in it.  I don't know if he is an Australian Author but in the front it said it was published in Australia as well as London by Harper Collins.  I think I will definately stick to the traditional source, if you could throw a couple of titles my way that would be much apprieciated.  I lost most of my books from moving around to much, and was getting such a mini library together not just on Runes but other things as well.

Ralph Blum helped get runes back on the map in 1980 or so, although some purists argue that he borrows from I Ching or other new age disciplines in his description of the runes and their use.  The blank rune is a shining example of this.  It has no historical context and was, apparently, made up by someone well after the era of the runes had passed (possibly Blum himself).

To be honest, the more I look into titles on the runes, the more I find myself dissatisfied with what I see.  The reason being is that I believe that Odin gave us the runes and should be interpreted in the context of his knowledge.  (Was Odin real some ask?  I believe so, and I have discussed that in some detail here:  http://www.mysticboard.com/weblog_entry.php?e=526 ). Modern writers always tend to put their own slant on things, like Aswynn or Paxton, introducing tarot or wiccan infleuences.  I am not against Wicca or Tarot but they are not part of what makes up runelore and I don't like the corruption of the original traditions.  Of course, the traditions are scarce, to say the least, because with the adoption of Christianity, rune usage became illegal and most records were lost.

The roman author Tacitus in his writings on Germania described a runecast of the Saxon people about 1800 years ago (I think it was that long ago, it's late and my mind is getting mushy). He says that runes were made from the branch of a fruit tree, that they were cast over a white cloth, that the Norse Gods were invoked (presumably for blessing) and that a 3 rune cast was performed.

Does it have to be any more complicated than that?  I don't think so.  And what do the runes mean to the ancients?  The Old Icelandic and Old Anglo-Saxon poems from 1000 years ago tell us what they meant when runes were part of the (at the time) current mindset of a world full of runemasters.  The poems are available online here:
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/rune_poems.html.  That same site (www.sunnyway.com) has information on lots of books.  Anyway, I am leaning these days to books that have less of the author in them and more of the ancient ways in them.  A small inexpensive book that meets that criteria is Francis Melville's "The Book of Runes". The book focuses on the Norse/Saxon history of the runes which is important.  The runes did not come to the Celt or the Roman.  This is a tradition of Northern Europe, and the mysteries revealed by the runes was to people who believed in Odin and company.  I'm not saying that someone who does not have a conection with the Norse pantheon can't use the runes effectively, but I believe that connection with the Norse pantheon will make it better, using their interpretations and casting methods, instead of those developed in the 20th century.  

Wikipedia has this to say: Runic divination is a modern practice of divination based on interpretation of the ideograms contained within the Proto-Germanic Elder Futhark and other Runic systems. Runic divination as it is now practiced is not based on historical evidence.

My response to that is to do everything in my power to use the runes in accord with historical evidence.  What historical evidence (such as that I have cited above) I will use and where there may be gaps, I will trust in Odin and Freya to guide me to the correct answers and trust in their wisdom.

Not just in books but people as well when it comes down to teachers, they say when the time come the teacher will find you but how do you know that the knowledge that they have is not extremely biase to suit their own purpose.  I think that is why I decided to go it alone, it has been tough trying to find the right information and some times I get side track but I have gone with my gut.  What feels right to me deep down must be right, as I have relied on my instinct for most of life I don't think I have gone to far wrong.  I think the key is to stay opened and not have a close view on what you find, for you never know what you are missing if you dismiss something.  Each thing can be viewed from many different facets, making interpretation neither right or wrong.

There I go again being all philosophical, basically what I trying to say is what feels right for you based on your own knowledge, experience and instinct will be the book that suits you.   www.sunnyway.com has a good section that tells you how to find the books that are not frauds which I found very interesting and confirmed my beliefs thus far.

Information will enlighten your life.