Summary

Tourist leaflet 'Melbourne Motor Cruises' issued by Victorian Railways in December 1933 in conjunction with The City Motor Service Pty. Ltd. and The Victorian Government Tourist Board.

Physical Description

Single page, folded sepia (brown on white) leaflet with printed text and photographic images. The leaflet details the types of tours available and the programmes of events for each tour.

Significance

This and other tourism documents reflect notions of Victorian and Melburnian identity in the period before and after World War I. They provide an idealized view which emphasizes the majesty of government buildings, bustling but clean streets well-serviced by transport, orderly public gardens, industry (at a safe distance), private schools, popular events such as regattas and horse races, and trips to the 'wilderness' enjoyed by respectably attired people. These selections reflect a sense of economic well-being, social order and control of the environment, and an aesthetic ideal rooted in orderly, symmetrical and repetitive forms.

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