"Port Melbourne was once a vibrant river delta composed of dunes, marshes and tea-tree thickets, rich in wildlife. The arrival of settlers disrupted established land use patterns, decimating the way of life of the traditional owners. A large lagoon, that helped define this emerging suburb, was progressively filled in to create new land for subdivision. The modest, wooden cottages built on it contained the hopes and dreams of ordinary people who came here from many lands. This book tells some of their stories. It features an eclectic range of women and men who either rented or owned property on or near the northern reaches of this former lagoon between the 1870s and the early 1950s. It shares their joys and sorrows, their struggles and successes, their friendships and family ties.Port Melbourne has changed dramatically in the intervening seventy years and issues like climate change and reconciliation will shape its future." -- back cover.

Victorian Community History Awards Shortlist 2021