The Independent Type Exhibition celebrates Victoria’s literary culture and will be displayed at Croydon Library until Sunday the 3rd of October.

This evening I was invited to launch the exhibition, which covers Victoria’s literary evolution from traditional Indigenous storytelling through to colonial literature and contemporary writing. The exhibition consists of panels and multimedia presentations that cover Victoria’s literary history reinforcing Melbourne’s status as a City of Literature.

In addition, workshops are provided for young, emerging and experienced writers, as well as specific sessions on emerging mediums, including blogging and zines.

The speech delivered during the launch is available in this entry:

Good evening and welcome to the Independent Type Exhibition. I would like to acknowledge the attendance of the Mayor of Knox, Cr Joe Cossari, as well as my fellow colleague, Cr Natalie Thomas, who is Chair of Eastern Regional Libraries.

Maroondah City Council, in the spirit of reconciliation, acknowledges that we are meeting on the land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.

We accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome.

The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality, to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.

The Independent Type Exhibition focuses on the history of Victoria’s writing, beginning with Indigenous storytelling through to modern contemporary writing. The exhibition reflects Melbourne’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature and it is great to see the exhibition feature here at Croydon and Maroondah.

In addition to the exhibition, I am pleased to announce that staff from the State Library will be presenting some of the most important original documents from their collections. This includes Ned Kelly’s famed Jerilderie Letter of 1879 and Rafael Carboni’s first hand account of the Eureka Stockade. The audience will be able to view these items up close during this evening’s session at the Croydon Library.

Please enjoy the Independent Type Exhibition and thank you for your interest in Victoria’s literary history.