Missing Voices. "The Birth of Melbourne" by Tim Flannery (ed) and "Radical Melbourne: A Secret History" by Jeff Sparrow and Jill Sparrow. [review]

Abstract

In "Radical Melbourne: A Secret History", Jeff and Jill Sparrow map the 'radical' history of Melbourne, with visits to fifty sites throughout the city. Uncovering layers of paint, advertising hoardings, demolitions and retro-fits, they expose a past that has too often escaped the eye of more official and Establishment-conscious commemoration in Melbourne."The Birth of Melbourne," a collection of nineteenth-century documentary sources that also deals with Melbourne, has been edited by the 'naturalist, explorer and writer' Tim Flannery, who has also written a 'pre-history' introductory essay for the book. It provides a rich insight into Melbourne's colonial past, although the text privileges the narratives of Melbourne's colonial kingpins, such as John Batman, Robert Hoddle and an array of booster journalists.