The Place for a Village

/ June 14th, 2011 / Comments Off on The Place for a Village

Place for a Village

Have you ever wondered why Melbourne is located where it is? Or why it has the shape it does? The original point of settlement was about seven kilometres up the Yarra River from Port Phillip Bay. Urban development in the past 175 years has led to a metropolitan area that today stretches from Caroline Springs in the west to Ferntree Gully in the east and from Broadmeadows in the north, to Frankston in the south. The urban sprawl is clearly skewed to the east, south and southeast. What led to this development?

The place for a village looks at the history of Melbourne from the point of view of nature and considers the ways that urban development has been influenced by the nature of local environments. It begins with a reconstruction of the Melbourne area as it was first seen by Europeans, at the beginning of the 19th century. The author draws on both historical and scientific sources to create a detailed and fascinating picture of diverse landscapes, supporting an enormous range of flora and fauna.

The Place for a Village won the 2009 Victorian Community History Award for best book.

This book is available from Readings and other bookstores, and from the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, 1 Gardenia Street, Blackburn; RRP $39.95