Did you know that around the 1860s, civic reprobates who discarded orange peel in the streets of Melbourne risked life and limb? Apparently new flagstone paving stones, combined with discarded orange peels, were a serious hazard. Oranges were a popular snack at the time and peel littered the pavements, with women blamed by the newspapers as the 'chief strewers of peel'. 

Join us as Robyn Annear talks about this story and more from her new book Corners of Melbourne. Robyn is an author who 'tackles her sprawling subject matter with her trademark wit and her knack for singling out the perfect historical reference.' (Age)

Bookings are essential with a gold coin for entry.

What defines a city better than its street corners? A corner gives you a starting point, a destination and a place to turn. It’s furnished with pillar boxes, newsstands and tram stops, and lamp-posts for light and lounging. Where would you be likeliest to find a pub? At the corner, of course. And who better than Robyn Annear to usher you around the corners of Melbourne, and reveal their bizarre, baroque and mostly forgotten stories?

Join us as Robyn Annear takes us through the stories and research behind her new book, Corners of Melbourne.

About Robyn Annear:

Robyn Annear’s books include Bearbrass, A City Lost & Found: Whelan the Wrecker's Melbourne, Nothing New: A History of Second-hand and Adrift in Melbourne. Her podcast ‘Nothing on TV’ presents stories from Trove historical newspapers. Robyn also appeared in the acclaimed 2022 documentary, The Lost City of Melbourne.

If you have accessibility questions or requirements, please contact us at yarralibraries@yarracity.vic.gov.au or on 1300 695 427.

Free, but bookings are essential.

Twisted plots with a cracking pace: Breathing new life into Rural Noir

Rural Noir — crime fiction set everywhere from dry and dusty farming communities to sleepy seaside towns — has become a global publishing sensation. Breathing new life into this established, sometimes tired, genre are three Australian authors – Vikki Wakefield (To the River), Fiona Lowe (The Accident), and Christine Gregory (The Community). They’ll be thrashing through the issues with award-winning author, Margaret Hickey.

To the River, the latest thriller by Adelaide author, Vikki Wakefield, focuses on the apparent murder of nine people in a remote caravan community by 17-year-old Sabine Kelly. Sabine escapes custody and disappears. Twelve years after the ‘Caravan Murders’, journalist Rachel Weidermann is determined to track down Sabine whom she suspects made her way back to the river. In her spotlight are class, corruption, love, loyalty, and the vindication of truth and justice . . . and a brave dog called Blue.

Vikki writes fiction for adults and young adults. Her novels have been shortlisted for numerous awards. After You Were Gone, a psychological thriller, was her first novel for adults and was published in 2022 to much acclaim.