In Eltham, known as Nillumbik for thousands of years, meaning shallow roots / shallow earth. On the lands of the Wurundjeri-willam Custodians of the Kulin Nation.
Eltham Library was one of the first places I went once I'd landed in Eltham. There's something about a library that can tell you a lot about the place you live. A hub, a place to rest and enquire. A feeling of place that doesn't discriminate.
Walking in for the first time, I was stopped by the paintings along the walls and around the first brick space, leading toward the library entry. It's one of my favourite things to do every visit. Take a break from reading, or the group puzzle on the table, or study, and wander the gallery space. Breathe in someone else's work for a while.
One time I remember a commotion arriving at the jigsaw puzzle I was working on. A garden skink was running across the floor. Together with two strangers, we cupped our hands over the lizard and walked it outside. That's the spirit of Eltham Library to me. Wildness at the edges, and warmth inside.
Something easy to miss is the hand-carved platypus sculpture, hidden toward the kids section. It's been quietly cared for, oiled and maintained over the years. It represents the spirit of Eltham and its proximity to Diamond Creek, a platypus refuge to this day.
Alan Marshall sculpture with a mystery melting ball of ice in his outstretched hand
It's also easy to walk past the statue out the front entirely, depending on which path you take in. Just beneath the old Oak is a statue of Alan Marshall, by Marcus Skipper. Alan was a beloved Eltham author, best known for his autobiography I Can Jump Puddles, about life with a disability after growing up with polio. One winter's day I arrived for a cup of tea and some reading by the fire, and Alan had a ball of ice in his hand. Slowly melting. His expression seemed even more alive than it normally did.
I always say hello to Alan on the way in. He feels alive to me.
Arrive at noon and you'll work alongside the other work-from-homers, self employed, retired and enjoying. Arrive at 5pm and be surrounded by schoolkids cramming in study for the week. The library holds all of it without making any of it feel out of place.
