"The 1967 Collins Street Directory - Melbourne & Suburbs, published by Collins Book Depot Pty Ltd of 86 Bourke Street, Melbourne, is a wonderfully evocative record of metropolitan Melbourne during a period of rapid suburban expansion. Containing 203 official detailed maps, the directory covers the metropolitan area together with outer districts extending as far as Lalor, Hurstbridge, Warrandyte, Lilydale, Belgrave, Dandenong, Mornington, Keilor and Deer Park. Individual maps identify streets, major roads, railways, tram and bus routes, public facilities and numerous other features, providing a fascinating snapshot of Melbourne's urban geography almost sixty years ago.
Of particular interest is the original large folding master map, which remains present with this copy. Opening to an impressive overview of Melbourne and its suburbs, the map incorporates the contemporary metropolitan road network and numbered directory map sections, together with an index to suburbs and period advertising. The directory itself is equally rich in social history, with advertisements for Melbourne businesses and services scattered throughout, including Hoyts Drive-In Theatres, Hertz Rent A Car, T.A.B. agencies and numerous local retailers and tradespeople. These advertisements, telephone numbers, transport routes and long-vanished businesses make the volume an appealing reference for collectors, genealogists and researchers of Melbourne history.
Published in 1967 and retaining its striking original colour covers, this is an increasingly appealing piece of Melbourne ephemera from the pre-digital era when a Collins street directory was an essential item for navigating the city. Beyond its practical cartographic content, it provides a detailed record of how Melbourne's suburbs, roads, commercial districts and transport networks appeared during the 1960s. Importantly, the large foldout master map advertised on the front cover is still present, adding considerably to the completeness and collectability of this surviving 1967 directory."
