150 Years of Spring Street

Australian History Political History Melbourne History Political Biography Parliamentary History State Politics Adult Education Reference Victoria State Politics

“150 Years of Spring Street” is the only single-volume chronicle that traces every political heartbeat of Australia’s second-oldest parliament, from the gold-rush birth of Victoria’s Legislative Assembly in 1856 to the Bracks-era reforms of the early 21st-century. Historian-journalist Robert Murray distils a century-and-a-half of booms, busts, scandals and social revolutions into a fast-moving narrative that still finds room for the colour of horse-drawn Hansom cabs rattling over cobblestones and the first live television broadcast of Question Time. The result is a book that reads like a political thriller while doubling as an authoritative reference for students, educators and anyone who wants to understand how Melbourne’s decisions shaped the nation.

Collectors prize the 2007 ASP first edition paperback for its meticulous indexing, rare photographs and fold-out chronology that lets you trace premiers, policies and pivotal events in seconds. Unlike library copies, this clean, tightly-bound example has no ex-library markings, inscriptions or page-corner creases—only light edge rubs that attest to careful ownership. It is perfectly suited for display on a Melbourne-history shelf, citation in VCE and university essays, or as a gift for a politics buff who thinks they already know every Spring Street secret.

Owning “150 Years of Spring Street” means holding the definitive roadmap to Victorian political DNA: land-selection battles, the 1890s crash, Labor’s birth, the 1950s split, Kennett’s privatisation drive and the rise of independents. Whether you are a Young Adult researching Australia’s democratic milestones, a teacher building curriculum on state government, or a visitor who wants the back-story behind the grand Parliament House façade, Murray’s accessible prose turns complex legislation and colourful personalities into an unforgettable story of power on the Yarra.

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