i wasn’t quite sure what to expect in going to the public records office; i sort of held the assumption that it was going to be like the national library in canberra’s archives — that is, boring. it as a dark, dank basement with a lot of dust and a very musky smell. instead, i found the public records was a plethora of history and interest (but sometimes some monotony).

i honestly did find it so cool seeing all the big volumes that were tarnished with the wear and tear of their age. there were so many dates involved, including big books from the 1800s. i loved seeing that there was marriage records from the 40s and 50s and knew if i looked in them, i’d find my grandparents’ names there.

the maps that they showed us of buildings were cool, i didn’t really scream for joy over how interesting they were, but it was interesting to see these original drawings of buildings and areas we know today, and seeing how far they’ve come in terms of development in architecture and modern technology and locations.

by far, my favourite part of our little excursion was when our tour guide showed us the – or one of the – oldest court cases recorded in melbourne. it was so fascinating to see how much court cases, especially the documentation, has changed. back then, there was literally maybe two slips of paper entailing the details of the crime, the perpetrator’s details and their crime, as well as the verdict. as well as this, he showed us some of the sealed off evidence such as a bottle of nicotine, which a lady accidentally drank in the middle of the night as well as bullets from a murder.

it was definitely a wealth of information, and they made a really nice coffee, so i was satisfied! i am sure i’ll be going back there to have a look around for storey hall information and plans, and i imagine that those doing the magistrates court will have a field day looking at some available cases and such!