Illustrated maps have been produced and loved for centuries. It’s a way we can document a story of place and community and help visitors to the land navigate their surroundings. After returning from backpacking around Europe & America in the mid 80’s, armed with a collection of illustrated city maps, Melinda searched for a similar product of her home town of Melbourne - only to discover the last time the city had been illustrated was in 1880.
After deciding to create one herself, she set about finding an artist then began the research. Over 7,500 reference photos of Melbourne were taken, 2,000 of these from a hot air balloon, piecing together Melbourne’s landmarks and beauty to present in a piece of art. Melinda and artist Deborah Young had no prior map making experience and were far from qualified to undertake such a project however they soldiered on with enthusiasm and blind faith. It involved working at nights and weekends from a garage for 4 years culminating with publishing the first “Magic Melbourne Map” black & white limited in 1990.
An updated colour map then followed in 1991 and the Melbourne Map went on to be a hugely popular image. A jigsaw was added to the range with 10,000 copies sold. After 6 years, all left over maps, photos and memorabilia were packaged up and stored in a shed and Melinda moved to the country to be a fish farmer, leaving her map making days behind. A visit to her storage shed in 2014, initially to organize the “moving on” of map memorabilia, turned into a resurgence of the project and a return to her creative pursuits and love of map making. The Melbourne Map 2.0 has recently been completed and Melinda will share her story and insights into this mammoth 4 year project.
7:00pm Pizza & wine
7:30pm Talk begins
860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill. VIC
Bookings essential:
Friends of MGA $12 | $6 talk only
Non-members $14 | $8 talk only
T: 03 8544 0500
E: mga@monash.vic.gov.au
