Corners of Melbourne

Robyn Annear has written a number of books relating to the history of Melbourne. She is an avid user of Trove and this book results from searching records about Melbourne up to 1899 with the limiter 'at the corner'. This produced a range of incidents within a series of broad themes, many of which appear in this book of anecdotes. The subtitle for the book, Corners of Melbourne, is The great Orange-peel panic and other stories from the streets. Most of the stories revolve around corner locations in the city of Melbourne as well as suburbs such as Collingwood, Fitzroy, Carlton and West Melbourne.

Themes covered in this book include accidents that occurred when people slipped on discarded orange and other fruit skins on the flagstones recently laid in Melbourne, accidents that occurred with horses in overcrowded streets, drinking taps and horse troughs, public urinals rather than small lanes used as toilets, street stalls, speakers on a range of topics on street corners, pick pockets, 'entertainers', card readers etc., hoardings with advertising signs and a variety of entertainment set up on land near street corners. 

One chapter covers larrikins, a term first used in the press in 1870 to describe groups of young men (sometimes women) who congregated together in the streets at night and caused havoc. Some would go on the rampage and damage private and public property. The limited police force had difficulty handing the situation. Reading this chapter made me think that not much has changed considering the behavior of some young people today.

Robyn Annear has written an interesting account of lesser known aspects of life in Melbourne in the nineteenth century.

Adrift in Melbourne: Seven Walks With Robyn Annear

Some years ago when I worked at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, we developed podcasts providing information about some of the historical sites in the region. Two of these podcasts are available on the RHSV website. Consequently I was interested to see this book of walks around the streets of Melbourne by Robyn Annear. 

Adrift in Melbourne,: seven walks with Robyn Annear showcases some of the hidden history to be found in Melbourne. Most of the actual sites outlined in the walks no longer exist but their history remains. Readers can 'explore' the walks from home with the asistance of an internet search to discover photographs and illustrations of places and people mentioned in the many entertaining stories provided by the author. Of course, readers can also spend some time investigating the sites as they walk the streets of the CBD of Melbourne. This book is a great addition to discoverning more about the history of Melbourne.

Nothing New: a history of second-hand

On a trip to England with the Australian overs 70s cricket team in 2018, as well as watching the cricket there was opportunity to explore the aea where the games were being played. On this trip many of the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) regularly spent much time exploring charity shops (opportunity shops or op-shops in Australia).

In Nothing New: a history of second hand, Robin Annear provides a history of the trend for purchasing and sometimes repurposing second hand items, not just in Australia but developments in other countries. Second hand clothing for general wear or fancy dress immediately springs to mind but the author also looks at scrap metal yards, antique and vintage stores, lost and found, recycling, trash and treasure markets, garage sales as well as the growth and operation of of op-shops.This is not just a study of second hand goods today but a history of how used goods have been collected, distributed and sold for hundreds of years. The concept of second-hand is definitely not new.