Cole’s Book Arcade
by Melbourne was once the home of the world’s biggest bookstore, home to more than a million books. Welcome to Cole’s Book Arcade.
The First Abstract Art
Abstract art angers people. It is weird, it is about nothing, it doesn’t take any skill. Fittingly, the first abstract artist was an eccentric Russian …
May Day: A History of May 1st
It was a religious holiday, a public holiday, and International Worker’s of the World Day. Welcome to May Day: here is the history of May 1st.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower
Every April 22nd, the night skies in both hemispheres are lit up with a streaky series of fiery trails. This is the Lyrid Meteor Shower.
The Great Trades Hall Robbery
You can still see the bullet holes from the Trades Hall Robbery in 1915, the remnants of a shootout between bandits and police.
Liardet’s Beach
Sailor, artist, businessman and iconoclast, Wilbraham Liardet was one of early Melbourne’s most unique early inhabitants.
The St Kilda Solar System
The Saint Kilda Solar System stretches for 6 kilometres along Melbourne’s foreshore. It even includes Pluto.
The Six O’Clock Swill
Until the 1960s, Australian pubs used to close at 6pm, and getting a drink after work was a fraught experience. This is, The Six O’Clock Swill.
Mazu: The Heavenly Queen of the Maribyrnong
Overlooking a river in Footscray, in Melbourne’s west, is something unexpected; an ancient Chinese goddess. Meet Mazu, The Heavenly Queen of the Maribyrnong.
The Point Nepean Quarantine Station
The Point Nepean Quarantine Station was many people’s first taste of Melbourne: sick arrivals were once kept in extended quarantine, before entering the city.