"U.B.D. Melbourne Street Directory - Eleventh Edition (1966) is a substantial and richly detailed snapshot of mid-1960s metropolitan Melbourne at a moment of rapid suburban expansion. Fully revised and published annually by Universal Business Directories, this edition maps Melbourne City and its suburbs with exceptional clarity, incorporating extensive indexed street maps that extend well beyond the inner city to developing outer districts and the Mornington Peninsula. The directory reflects a period when Melbourne's road network, tramlines, railways, and new subdivisions were being reshaped by post-war growth and the rise of car-centred urban life.
Beyond its cartographic value, the directory functions as a social and commercial record of the era. Interleaved throughout are period advertisements for local businesses, trades, services, and institutions, offering a vivid cross-section of everyday Melbourne in 1966—from funeral directors and taxi services to manufacturers, retailers, and holiday promotions. The clear typography, colour-coded maps, and comprehensive indexing make it both highly usable and visually evocative, while the advertisements add an unmistakable layer of cultural and historical context.
This is a scarce copy in this condition, retaining strong covers, clean and legible maps, and a sound spine, making it increasingly hard to find compared with heavily used or deteriorated examples. As both a practical street directory and an urban time capsule, it is a compelling reference for historians, planners, and collectors alike, and would particularly appeal to enthusiasts of Melbourne history, mid-20th-century cartography, and Australian urban development."
