Elizabeth Batman’s doll
Social life & customs, Such was life:
Elizabeth Batman’s doll is a fascinating relic from the earliest days of Melbourne.
Articles by: Sarah Matthews
The ancient art of bellringing
Social life & customs, Such was life:
The ancient art of bellringing is harder than it looks. Bellringers require confidence and stamina, not to mention an excellent memory.
Are you being served?
Step back in time to the old-fashioned servo, where consumer choice was de rigueur, and service was king.
The old tin shed
Buildings & streets, Such was life:
‘The Elizabeth Street blot’, ‘unsightly’, ‘deplorable’, ‘an ancient eyesore’. Few buildings in our city’s history excited as much controversy as ‘the old tin shed’.
Convict tattoos
What do the following things have in common: candlesticks, beehives, cock fights, drinking glasses, swans, flowerpots, crucifixes, stags, comets, and roses? Give up? They’re all convict tattoos.
The 1967 referendum
On 27 May 1967, Australians voted in record numbers to alter two sections of the Constitution so it no longer discriminated against Aboriginal people. The landslide ‘yes’ vote was seen as a watershed moment in Australian political history.
Federici’s ghost
Arts & literature, Such was life:
Melbourne’s Princess Theatre has been host to many fine performers over the years, but the most famous performance of all belongs to its ghost, Federici.
A cargo of fallen angels
People & professions, Such was life:
Children in detention. Stopping the boats. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was recent times but in fact, it was the 19th century.
Poetry of the pongo
‘Pongo’ was a term used by Australian troops in World War One to refer to the common foot soldier of the infantry battalions. The songs, stories, art and verses of the pongos tells us much about the Australian soldiers who fought in the Great War.
So, you want to be a librarian?
People & professions, Such was life:
From 1948 up until 1969, the Melbourne Public Library’s training school educated nearly 300 aspiring librarians. Many things have changed since then, but some things still remain the same…
