Radical Melbourne A Secret History

History Australiana Local & Regional History

Radical Melbourne: A Secret History by Jeff and Jill Sparrow peels back the city’s polite façade to expose its unruly past of protests, underground presses and revolutionary meetings. This illustrated 2004 paperback charts Melbourne’s hidden activist geography, from 19th-century unions to modern street art collectives, through sharp narrative and archival images that bring forgotten corners to life.

Ideal for students of Australian social history, local history buffs or anyone curious about Melbourne’s counter-culture, the book doubles as a walking guide to the lanes, pubs and back streets where ideas once sparked change. The Sparrows combine meticulous research with vivid storytelling, turning what could be dry reference into a page-turning true story.

The copy offered is in very good condition: crisp, clean pages and tight spine, ready for immediate reading or shelf display. No inscriptions, ex-library marks or sun-fading—just a well-preserved slice of Victoria’s radical heritage waiting for its next keeper.