Have you ever wondered why Melbourne is located where it is?
Or why it has the shape it does? The original point of settlement was
about seven kilometres up the Yarra River from Port Phillip Bay. Urban
development in the past 170 years has led to a metropolitan area that
today stretches from Caroline Springs in the west to Ferntree Gully in
the east and from Broadmeadows in the north to Frankston in the south.
The urban sprawl is clearly skewed to the east, south and southeast.
What has led to this development?
'The Place for a Village' looks at the history of Melbourne
from the point of view of nature and considers the ways that urban
development has been influenced by the nature of local environments. It
begins with a reconstruction of what the Melbourne area was like when
first seen by Europeans, at the beginning of the 19th century. This
book draws on both historical and scientific sources to create a
detailed and fascinating picture of diverse landscapes, supporting an
enormous range of flora and fauna.
As the city grew, the original landscapes were increasingly altered.
The natural history observed by the first settlers is long gone −
destroyed or altered beyond recognition − but nature continues to exert
a powerful influence on the shape and size of Melbourne.
Gary Presland will literally change your view of Melbourne.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
- Natural History
- Lost Landscapes
Part 1. Reconstructing Melbourne's Natural History
1. The Shape of Melbourne's Landscapes
2. The Nature of Melbourne's Climate
3. Melbourne's Streams and Wetlands
4. The Pre-European Vegetation of Melbourne
5. Pre-European Animal Life of Melbourne
Part 2. The Influence of Nature on Climate
Aboriginal Connection to the Port Philip Area
'The Place for a Village'
Shaping the River
Lines of Movement
The Shape of Melbourne
Future Development
Sense of Place
Appendix 1. Methodology and Rationale
Appendix 2. Indicative Vegetation in a Box-Stringybark Woodland
Appendix 3. Indicative Vascular Plant Species in Red Gum Woodlands
Appendix 4. List of Typical Plants at the Lowest Stratum in Grassy Woodland
Appendix 5. Native Fish Species Found in Yarra River
Footnotes
Further Reading
Image Credits
Index
