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Old Vintage Melbourne, 1960–1990
A sequel to Old Vintage Melbourne, this collection invites you again to turn back time and revisit the diverse past of the much-loved city of Melbourne.
This captivating compilation of photographs taken between 1960 and 1990 provides a fascinating glimpse of a time that is familiar and yet different, when significant changes started to affect the city and its suburbs. As classical old city buildings were demolished, and large suburban shopping centres started to change the retail experience, Melbourne embraced modernity. The skyline changed, and so did streetscapes. Under the impact of population growth and large-scale migration, the city’s unique and vibrant culture that we know today started to emerge. Cafés, fashion, sport, architecture, infrastructure, technology, and even the law were all affected.
Adapted from the highly popular ‘Old Vintage Melbourne’ Instagram account, this collection allows us to revisit iconic sights and scenes — some as they were, and some as they still are, generations later. For many readers, it provides a chance to indulge in rare memories of growing up in our unique city.
This captivating compilation of photographs taken between 1960 and 1990 provides a fascinating glimpse of a time that is familiar and yet different, when significant changes started to affect the city and its suburbs. As classical old city buildings were demolished, and large suburban shopping centres started to change the retail experience, Melbourne embraced modernity. The skyline changed, and so did streetscapes. Under the impact of population growth and large-scale migration, the city’s unique and vibrant culture that we know today started to emerge. Cafés, fashion, sport, architecture, infrastructure, technology, and even the law were all affected.
Adapted from the highly popular ‘Old Vintage Melbourne’ Instagram account, this collection allows us to revisit iconic sights and scenes — some as they were, and some as they still are, generations later. For many readers, it provides a chance to indulge in rare memories of growing up in our unique city.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2022
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 20, 2022
Old Vintage Melbourne 1960-1990 by Chris Macheras is the sequel to Old Vintage Melbourne and is for all those who enjoy studying urban photographs of this wonderful capital city. Melbourne was voted the world's most liveable city for 7 years in a row from 2011 and I'm proud to call the city home.
While Old Vintage Melbourne included photographs taken between the mid 1880s and the mid 1990s, this collection - as the title suggests - focuses on the three decades between 1960 - 1990 which makes for a well thought out sequel. Being a child of the 1970s, seeing this collection of colour photographs taken before my birth, at the time of my birth and into my own living memory was quite something and met a level of curiosity that wasn't satisfied in the first book.
I enjoyed the snippets of history that were unknown to me prior to reading this book, like the fact that a 12yo boy vanished in 1982 when he was playing in the reflecting pool and fountain in the City Square; now the Metro tunnel work site on the corner of Swanston Street and Collins Street. The temperature on that day was in the 40s and the water would have been tempting, however the boy was sucked into the circulation system of the fountain and disappeared from view. Despite frantic and heroic efforts from his friend, he was presumed drowned until he was miraculously found alive, 1.5 hours later! Apparently he found an air pocket in the main cavern and was rescued when the water was pumped out by the fire brigade. Wow, how terrifying for him and his parents! If you want to read about this tale of survival and learn more about the incredible bravery of the boy's friend, you can read the entire story for free via a link in the original blog post here.
All of that said, I had to deduct a star in my rating due to the editing of this collection. The author's name is misspelled in one of the photo credits (page 33) and on page 106, the content for two photographs have been reversed, presumably due to a layout change at some point in the process. The content accompanying the photographs is critical to the overall enjoyment of the collection and in this case, the book would have benefitted from a tighter editing process.
On a more positive note, Macheras has touchingly included a photograph of his grandparents in this collection, which was a lovely personal touch and an indulgence the reader will surely allow.
Reading Old Vintage Melbourne 1960-1990 by Chris Macheras made me nostalgic about the past, but I find it fascinating that I don't feel the same way looking around at today's streetscapes. I always notice when a building disappears or a storefront changes, but I don't feel their loss in the same way as businesses which closed decades ago. Why is that?
In studying the images in this collection, signage is just as interesting as the architecture and equally as compelling as the subjects who happen to have been present at the precise moment the photo was taken. I enjoyed imagining myself in those settings (how fun would it be to browse the aisles at Coles New World in the 1970s) and wondering about the lives of those captured unawares. Where are they now?
I know we're living in changeable times, and when I walk around the CBD now, I'm reminded that the Metro tunnel is going to significantly change the city landscape and new train stations are being constructed as we speak. It's clear that there's so much more greenery in this collection than in the past, and it doesn't seem to be related to the time it takes to grow a tree. It seems to me that as Australian culture has shifted and evolved over time, urban planners, developers and councils have embraced the advantages of greenery in the city to cool the towers of concrete and glass on every block as well as improve the aesthetics and air quality of the urban landscape. This continues even now with council grants encouraging green walls, rooftop and community gardens and rooftop beehives.
My favourite images in this collection were by far the aerial shots of Southbank and South Melbourne, and I could look at these for hours comparing what I can see in the images to what I know of the landscape as it is right now. The Then/Now comparisons are wonderful for that purpose and the author has included several throughout the collection.
I can't help but wonder - and hope - that Chris Macheras' love for Melbourne continues, his Instagram account continues to thrive (his motivation for the books) and that he might soon start planning another sequel that could take us closer to the present date. Retro Melbourne would make a terrific title, don't you think?
Highly recommended!
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *
While Old Vintage Melbourne included photographs taken between the mid 1880s and the mid 1990s, this collection - as the title suggests - focuses on the three decades between 1960 - 1990 which makes for a well thought out sequel. Being a child of the 1970s, seeing this collection of colour photographs taken before my birth, at the time of my birth and into my own living memory was quite something and met a level of curiosity that wasn't satisfied in the first book.
I enjoyed the snippets of history that were unknown to me prior to reading this book, like the fact that a 12yo boy vanished in 1982 when he was playing in the reflecting pool and fountain in the City Square; now the Metro tunnel work site on the corner of Swanston Street and Collins Street. The temperature on that day was in the 40s and the water would have been tempting, however the boy was sucked into the circulation system of the fountain and disappeared from view. Despite frantic and heroic efforts from his friend, he was presumed drowned until he was miraculously found alive, 1.5 hours later! Apparently he found an air pocket in the main cavern and was rescued when the water was pumped out by the fire brigade. Wow, how terrifying for him and his parents! If you want to read about this tale of survival and learn more about the incredible bravery of the boy's friend, you can read the entire story for free via a link in the original blog post here.
All of that said, I had to deduct a star in my rating due to the editing of this collection. The author's name is misspelled in one of the photo credits (page 33) and on page 106, the content for two photographs have been reversed, presumably due to a layout change at some point in the process. The content accompanying the photographs is critical to the overall enjoyment of the collection and in this case, the book would have benefitted from a tighter editing process.
On a more positive note, Macheras has touchingly included a photograph of his grandparents in this collection, which was a lovely personal touch and an indulgence the reader will surely allow.
Reading Old Vintage Melbourne 1960-1990 by Chris Macheras made me nostalgic about the past, but I find it fascinating that I don't feel the same way looking around at today's streetscapes. I always notice when a building disappears or a storefront changes, but I don't feel their loss in the same way as businesses which closed decades ago. Why is that?
In studying the images in this collection, signage is just as interesting as the architecture and equally as compelling as the subjects who happen to have been present at the precise moment the photo was taken. I enjoyed imagining myself in those settings (how fun would it be to browse the aisles at Coles New World in the 1970s) and wondering about the lives of those captured unawares. Where are they now?
I know we're living in changeable times, and when I walk around the CBD now, I'm reminded that the Metro tunnel is going to significantly change the city landscape and new train stations are being constructed as we speak. It's clear that there's so much more greenery in this collection than in the past, and it doesn't seem to be related to the time it takes to grow a tree. It seems to me that as Australian culture has shifted and evolved over time, urban planners, developers and councils have embraced the advantages of greenery in the city to cool the towers of concrete and glass on every block as well as improve the aesthetics and air quality of the urban landscape. This continues even now with council grants encouraging green walls, rooftop and community gardens and rooftop beehives.
My favourite images in this collection were by far the aerial shots of Southbank and South Melbourne, and I could look at these for hours comparing what I can see in the images to what I know of the landscape as it is right now. The Then/Now comparisons are wonderful for that purpose and the author has included several throughout the collection.
I can't help but wonder - and hope - that Chris Macheras' love for Melbourne continues, his Instagram account continues to thrive (his motivation for the books) and that he might soon start planning another sequel that could take us closer to the present date. Retro Melbourne would make a terrific title, don't you think?
Highly recommended!
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *
Read
November 14, 2022Yikes, you know you’re getting old when you remember the photos in a book titled Old Vintage Melbourne!
This book is the sequel to Old Vintage Melbourne (2021, Scribe Publishing, ISBN 9781922310941) which grew out of an Instagram account with the same name. Its successor is my vintage, comprising full colour and B&W photos from 1960-1990.
Many of the photos are of the CBD as it used to be, and as I remember it from frequent childhood trips to the eye specialist. I was reminded of the most memorable of these by a photo of the Myer Footbridge, built in the same year that we arrived in Australia. Late in the afternoon my mother dashed into Myer for something, leaving me at the Lonsdale St Store entrance with strict instructions not to move. Well, she was in a right old panic by the time we were reunited nearly an hour later. This was our first trip into the city, and she didn’t know that Myer consisted of two buildings, and she had unwittingly crossed over into the Bourke St Store via that footbridge. And no, the store was closing and they wouldn’t let her back in, to locate me waiting not-so-patiently two blocks away outside the other entrance!
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/11/14/o...
This book is the sequel to Old Vintage Melbourne (2021, Scribe Publishing, ISBN 9781922310941) which grew out of an Instagram account with the same name. Its successor is my vintage, comprising full colour and B&W photos from 1960-1990.
Many of the photos are of the CBD as it used to be, and as I remember it from frequent childhood trips to the eye specialist. I was reminded of the most memorable of these by a photo of the Myer Footbridge, built in the same year that we arrived in Australia. Late in the afternoon my mother dashed into Myer for something, leaving me at the Lonsdale St Store entrance with strict instructions not to move. Well, she was in a right old panic by the time we were reunited nearly an hour later. This was our first trip into the city, and she didn’t know that Myer consisted of two buildings, and she had unwittingly crossed over into the Bourke St Store via that footbridge. And no, the store was closing and they wouldn’t let her back in, to locate me waiting not-so-patiently two blocks away outside the other entrance!
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/11/14/o...
October 22, 2022
Another fascinating and well done collection. Love looking at old photos of Melbourne. There's a lot of inclusions of various shopping centres that started popping up in those decades. Editing could have been done a bit better, caught one or two issues. But the presentation was really fantastic. Was captivated with the story of the kid who got sucked into the circulatory system at city square, what an absolutely wild survival tale.
Also. Melbourne Central station (then known as Museum Station) was infinitely better looking in the early eighties than it is now!
Also. Melbourne Central station (then known as Museum Station) was infinitely better looking in the early eighties than it is now!
November 18, 2022
🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋🚋
✍️ This is the STUNNING second collection of photographs of Melbourne from 1960-1990 from the Old Vintage Melbourne Instagram account.
Melbourne has been my home for the last eight years so it was fascinating to absorb the history, culture and fashion of many years ago in one beautiful hard cover book.
The beautiful photographs of the time and place and the people of Melbourne was nostalgically and graciously depicted with fabulous denotations on each page.
✍️ This is the STUNNING second collection of photographs of Melbourne from 1960-1990 from the Old Vintage Melbourne Instagram account.
Melbourne has been my home for the last eight years so it was fascinating to absorb the history, culture and fashion of many years ago in one beautiful hard cover book.
The beautiful photographs of the time and place and the people of Melbourne was nostalgically and graciously depicted with fabulous denotations on each page.
January 2, 2023
I’ve had so much enjoyment in this quiet week between Christmas and New Year, looking at these photos with my mum and uncles and asking questions about streets, shops and old buildings - some of which I remember from my childhood in the 1980s section of the book. It’s a shock to realise how run down much of the city centre was in the late 80s, before the inner-city rejuvenation and gentrification beginning in the 90s.
February 4, 2023
Another delightful pictorial history of the city of Melbourne, Australia. The book is replete with amazing images of this changing city. A pleasure to read, and one that will take pride of place on the coffee table.
October 12, 2023
Some great then+now pics side by side. Also includes the Kool Mints segment of the Allen's Sweets sign - very kool!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews