A History of The East Melbourne Group 1953-2003

By Jill Fenwick

When officious bureaucrats decided that the leafy, tranquil suburb of East Melbourne could do without a few of its trees, they couldn't have guessed that the outraged response of local citizens would lead to the foundation of one of the oldest residents' action groups in Australia. Read how, for more than 60 years, the East Melbourne Group has battled to preserve the heritage of their beloved suburb. Colourful characters, ambitious developers, reckless motorists and dastardly plots abound in this comprehensive history of the group's foundation and achievements.

Jill Fenwick is a long-term resident of East Melbourne and believes it may well be the best place in Melbourne, if not the world. She is currently President of the East Melbourne Historical Society, a position she has held since 2007. Prior to her retirement in 2006, she was a secondary teacher of History and Literature.

She co-authored two books, South Africa From Settlement to Self-Determination, with Carol Rosenhain, and Liberating France The Revolutionary Experience, with Judy Anderson.