Adrift in Melbourne

Melbourne’s streets have always been marvellous—but the proud facades of the nineteenth-century boom aren’t the half of it.
What about the stories behind them?
The great corset scandal of Melbourne’s belle epoque;
The heritage-listed toilets out the back of the Rialto;
The exploits of the women who ran the brothels in Little Lonsdale Street;
The reason George Mallaby starred in Homicide wearing a hat two sizes too small.

This book contains a series of walks created by Robyn Annear to showcase the hidden histories we might scurry past every day, the buildings now gone and the extraordinary characters who inhabited them.

Charming, erudite and frankly gossipy, Annear’s highly entertaining guide to Melbourne past and present need not be experienced on the move. But whether you enjoy it from a tram stop or an armchair, Adrift in Melbourne will inspire you to unleash your inner flâneur on the lurking surprises of this great city.

‘Quite frankly, reading anything written by Robyn Annear is a complete joy...I consider this book essential reading for anyone who loves Melbourne.’ Readings

'Robyn Annear is the perfect guide for this city tour, comprising seven walks (which can be done on foot or in your armchair)…There’s a gallery of characters too, but none more interesting than the city itself.’ Age/SMH

‘An unexpected delight. Annear writes history with a smile but with a deadly acerbic stare…On this tour of Melbourne we are in the best possible hands.’ Gregory Day, Saturday Paper

'An entertaining romp and joyous celebration of a city that keeps on giving.’ North Melbourne Books