Spring Street Things: Surprising stories from Victoria’s Parliament House

Every ‘thing’, it turns out, has a story. Drawing on her 2025 book, ‘Spring Street Things’, Robyn will tell the stories of an odd assortment of objects found in Victoria’s Parliament House, shedding a playful light on the workings of parliament and the 170-year history of democratic government in Victoria. Importantly, these are stories about people: artisans and builders, parliamentarians and journalists, as well as the women and First Peoples who, though long denied a place in parliament, made their presence felt.

Robyn Annear is author of ten books of history, including ‘Bearbrass’, ‘Adrift in Melbourne’, and most recently, ‘Shutter City: Fragments of a forgotten Melbourne and Spring Street Things’. She appeared in the acclaimed 2022 documentary, ‘The Lost City of Melbourne’. Her podcast ‘Nothing on TV’ presents stories ransacked from Trove historical newspapers.

Attend Talking History in person at the Eureka Centre (no booking required). Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube by clicking this link.

Image: Copper kettle belonging to Dr James Palmer (1851). Parliament of Victoria.