The Orbweavers

Every year, the Library grants a number of Creative Fellowships to local artists and scholars. Melbourne musicians Marita Dyson and Stuart Flanagan, from the Melbourne band the Orbweavers, used their 2016 Creative Fellowship to research West Melbourne's waterways.

Marita and Stuart looked at the way the waterways have changed over time, moving from industrial to recreational pursuits, and how the lives of the people who resided and worked along their banks in the 19th and 20th centuries also changed.

Watch this video to hear an excerpt from the poignant song 'Saltwater', which reveals how Marita and Stuart transformed their research into music and art.

If you're interested in the history of Melbourne's waterways, you might also like to check out our Story about walking the Blue Lake.