Blue Lake: Finding Dudley Flats and the West Melbourne Swamp

Discover the depths of Melbourne's hidden histories with 'Blue Lake: Finding Dudley Flats and the West Melbourne Swamp' by David Sornig. This compelling trade paperback, published by Scribe Publications, transcends mere social history to delve into the hauntingly beautiful narrative of an often-overlooked 8km-square zone west of central Melbourne. Once a vibrant wetland with a mesmerizing blue saltwater lagoon, this area has undergone significant transformations, including its role as a rubbish tip, a shanty town during the Great Depression, and now the contemporary docks. Sornig masterfully intertwines the lives of three standout characters—Elsie Williams, a Bendigo-born Afro-Caribbean singer; Jack Peacock, the resourceful king of Dudley Flats' scavenging economy; and Lauder Heinrich Rogge, a German hermit with a unique life story. Their stories offer poignant insights into race, class, and the urban fabric of Melbourne. With profound prose, Sornig encourages readers to rediscover their surroundings, unveiling layers of history often ignored. Whether you're a fan of Melbourne's social history, urban exploration, or psychogeography, this book provides a thought-provoking journey into the elusive beauty of its landscapes. Perfect for history buffs, Sornig's work bridges the past and present in a highly engaging read. Receive this exceptional book with FREE shipping. Note: Combined shipping for other items is not available with this product. Please allow up to 10 days for delivery.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781925322743
Format: Trade paperback (UK)
Year: 2018
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Pages: 384


Description:
In Blue Lake, David Sornig examines how the 8km-square zone to the west of central Melbourne became the city's blind spot. Once a fertile wetland with a large blue saltwater lagoon, it passed through various incarnations- from boneyards and rubbish tips; through the Depression-era Dudley Flats shanty town; to the modern-day docks. Through it all, one thing that has persisted is its uncanny, liminal quality.

As well as being a social history and a psychogeographic contemplation, Blue Lake is a biography of three specific characters- Elsie Williams, a Bendigo-born singer of Afro-Caribbean origin; Jack Peacock, the king of Dudley Flats' tip-scavenging economy; and Lauder Heinrich Rogge, a German hermit who lived for decades with sixty dogs on a stranded ship. By charting the rises and falls in their individual fortunes, Sornig reveals much about the race and class divides of their times and explores questions about those strange and singular places in the urban fabric where chaos is difficult to contain.

In masterful prose, Sornig reveals cracks in the colonial mythology of the ordered vision of progressive, urban Melbourne - a place where identities, both personal and public, have never quite been resolved. In doing so, he encourages readers to look harder at the places they live in - at the streets they walk, the buildings they enter, the empty spaces they pass - and to see in them intricate layers of time and history that have been hidden from view.

This product has FREE shipping however combined shipping for other products is not available with this item. Please allow up to 10 days for shipping.