Pauline Curby, Randwick (Randwick, NSW: Randwick City Council, 2009). 1–404. ill. (some col.), ports., col. maps, facsims. ; 30 cm. Published to mark the occasion of 150 years of local government in the City of Randwick. ISBN: 9780908510085. RRP: $69.95

Pauline Curby, Randwick (Randwick, NSW: Randwick City Council, 2009). 1–404. ill. (some col.), ports., col. maps, facsims. ; 30 cm. Published to mark the occasion of 150 years of local government in the City of Randwick. ISBN: 9780908510085. RRP: $69.95

If you’ve ever visited the beaches of Maroubra, Bondi or Clovelly, or walked the streets of gracious terraces and working cottages of Randwick, you’ll enjoy the authoritative work Randwick by Pauline Curby. Chapters follow chronologically and by themes like 'Moving to the Underworld' or 'Randwick at War' which allowed me to easily dip into an area that interested me. I was surprised at the amount of industry that had once employed so many –often demolished to make way for housing – a theme which was as relevant after World War I when garden suburbs like Matraville and Daceyville were promoted as it is today with the development of Victoria Park on a former racecourse and factory site. And with so many photographs to enjoy – the beach beauties, the Randwick racegoers, the houses large and small – this is a very satisfying coffee table book and reference for anyone interested in all manner of history from La Perouse to Centennial Park. Jenny McInerney 2015