Narm-Jaap: A Flinders Street Station History by Melissa-Jane Fogarty & Dylan Finney

Narm-Jaap: A Flinders Street Station History is part of the Our Lands Indigenous History series about Australia’s most iconic landmarks and the land on which they are built. The first book in the series Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History is a 2026 CBCA Notable in the Eve Pownall Award category.

This fascinating book offers a glimpse of the past and how Naarm (Melbourne) became the place where Flinders Street Station would be built. Originally people from the Kulin Nation would meet at Narm-Jaap (Queen’s Wharf) where tea-tree scrub grows along the Birrarung (Yarra River). It was here the various groups would meet and yarn, trade resources and hold ceremonies. They lived off the land harvesting tadpoles and eels, hunting kangaroos and possums and moving inland in the cooler months when the Birrarung would flood.

In 1803 British colonisers decided that this place Naarm (Melbourne) would make the best spot for a settlement. Over time white settlers took over the land and forced the First Nations Peoples onto reserves further inland.  They built numerous structures including the Flinders Street Station. This iconic building grew from a small station with one platform to a huge construction begun in 1901 and completed 1910. Over the following years the building has been adapted and enlarged to cope with a growing population.

Narm-Jaap: A Flinders Street Station History is beautifully presented with a glorious embossed cover depicting a family on Country, with the outline of Flinders Street Station subtly and cleverly outlined in the background. Inside, the glossy pages showcase detailed illustrations that add great visual interest and depth to the narrative, complementing the accessible and informative text.

Narrative nonfiction picture books offer an engaging and skilful way to introduce young readers to significant historical events, helping them understand how the past continues to shape the world they live in today. This book will be a valuable resource for a school and public library.

Excellent teacher resources: 9780734423399-teachers-resources.pdf

Themes: First Nations Peoples & Culture, History, Naarm(Melbourne), Iconic Landmarks, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People, Kulin Nation, Australia – Colonisation: First Contacts.

Kathryn Beilby