Mystery, myth and magic inhabit Geelong and its great southwest hinterland. Volcanoes, megafauna, UFO sightings, war secrets … NOEL MURPHY sketches an artistic panorama.
TIME capsules in black and white, a moment in history, Magic Boomerang-like standstill snapshots of an era not quite gone … however they’re described, the Rigby Sketchbook series from the late 1960s and early ’70s are diminutive treasures.
Cities, towns and regions across Australia were featured in the slender dust-cover hardback books, using short potted histories and smart monochrome hand sketches. Everywhere from the Dandenong Ranges to Fremantle, Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Yorke Peninsula.
These days they’re hard to find in second-hand bookshops; most snapped long ago by collectors with a weather eye for beauty and a bargain. Of the 60-odd little tomes, two feature Geelong, Surf Coast and regional sites and buildings: Geelong Sketchbook and Western District Sketchbook.
They’re terrific introductions to a region steeped in history, legends, myths and folklore few residents know.
Read the full story in the latest Geelong Coast Magazine – available from newsagents now.
