Melbourne suffered a chronic housing shortage during the 1940s. But by 1948, a vibrant building hub had been established to the north of the city. A group of passionate people responded to the housing crisis by forming a housing co-operative. Using modernist building techniques, such as prefabrication, members built homes for a community of 800 people, establishing the suburb of Lalor.
Named after the leader of the Eureka Rebellion, the Peter Lalor Homebuilding Co-operative Society was a grassroots organisation established to help its members realise the great Australian dream of home ownership.
Moira Scollay traces the history of Lalor to the present day, introducing us to the residents that shaped this unique Melbourne suburb: home by home, family by family, street by street.
