I used to work as an archivist at the City of Melbourne – that was a life time ago, but still in my life time. She is the author of 'A City Lost and Found, Bearbrass, Nothing But Gold, The Man Who Lost Himself,' and 'Fly a Rebel Flag.' She has also written several pieces for 'The Monthly' magazine. An affectionate journey, rich in detail and character.' - 'The Age' Robyn Annear is an ex-typist who lives in country Victoria with somebody else's husband. writes with an historian's eye for detail and a flair for ironic observation. Phillips Award for Australian Studies in the 1995 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.'. In a lively and engaging style, she overlays her reinvention of Bearbrass with her own impressions and experiences of the modern city, enabling Melburnians and visitors to imagine the early township and remind themselves of the rich history that lies beneath today's modern metropolis. Bearbrass was one of the local names by which Melbourne was known and Annear provides a fascinating living portrait of the streetlife of this town.

' In this much-loved book, Robyn Annear resurrects the village that was early Melbourne - from the arrival of white settlers in 1835 until the first gold rushes shook the town - and brings it to life in vivid colour. Settle yourself in the window of one, shut your eyes, and picture this scene of yore. Here you'll find a number of places to eat and drink. 'Just a little way down Collins Street, beside Henry Buck's, is a perpetually dark but sheltered laneway called Equitable Place.

Bearbrass by Robyn Annear