Open House Melbourne: Mayblooms and Cherry Bobs, Oral history of Hawthorn Arts Centre project

Mayblooms and Cherry Bobs was a project that Hawthorn Library Service originally commenced in 1985.  It involved interviewing and recording senior members of the Hawthorn community.  These interviews were captured on audio cassette, and a seven-volume memoir of Hawthorn was created and published in 1987.  The Boroondara Library Service currently holds the cassettes, which have been recently digitised.

During Open House Melbourne, these recordings and an engaging exhibition will be made available to the public. 

The recordings cover topics such as how the Hawthorn Town Hall played a pivotal part in some of the Hawthorn community’s most significant milestones, including World Wars I and II, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the many celebratory events and dances that make up Hawthorn Arts Centre’s exciting and colourful history.