HISTORYThe foundations of our streets
This collection of Melbourne survey maps is a missing piece in the story of Melbourne’s development. They give an account of streetscapes, civic spaces and social development from a pivotal time in our city’s history.
The maps are in archive, waiting to be conserved, catalogued and digitised. They are a treasure trove of history with value for researchers, families and students alike.
GET INVOLVEDHelp preserve the history and make it accessible to all
The thousands of pages of tissue-thin paper with handmade drawings that make up these survey maps are deteriorating, and we risk losing the history forever if they are not preserved and digitised soon. The Library needs to raise $160,000 before June 30 so that we can start work on conserving the oldest and most fragile volumes.
The loss of these maps would mean the loss of the stories they can tell about Melbourne’s history. A gift from you today will help save this history by enabling Library experts to undertake the many painstaking hours of work necessary to stabilise the maps from further damage and preserve them forever.
