The Lost City of Melbourne

A companion piece to the highly acclaimed independent documentary of the same name, this beautiful volume tells the story of the countless heritage buildings across Melbourne that were demolished in the middle of last century. With stunning photography and contributions from leading Melbourne authors and historians, this book is a revelatory work that allows its readers to re-imagine the former glory of the lost city of Melbourne.

As Melbourne grew, it became an epicentre of film culture and its hotels, restaurants and cafes became world renowned. But, in the 1950s, with the impending Olympic Games, Melbournians felt embarrassed about how they’d be perceived on the world stage. Our buildings were deemed too Victorian, the opposite of a modern metropolis and Whelan The Wrecker’s demolition blitz began that paved over a century’s worth of built heritage.

The book forms a companion piece to the independent documentary film of the same name that premiered at the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival and went on to be the highest grossing Australian documentary nationally in 2022 and subsequently won the Best Australian Documentary Award from the Australian Film Critics Association (AFCA) and also from the International Film Festival of Australia (IFFA). The film releases on DVD in October and airs on SBS Television in November 2023.

Leading Melbourne authors and historians such as Robyn Annear and Graeme Davison drive the narrative with stunning photography from Mark Strizic, Wolfgang Sievers, John Lindt, Angus O’Callaghan, Charles Nettleton and John Gollings providing the visual story. The book is a revelatory work that allows its readers to re-imagine the former glory of the lost city of Melbourne.