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Yr 7 Runner

Runner by Robert Newton

It's 1919, Richmond football club is on top of the ladder, cream buns are threepence each and four boys are gunning for the best job in town. Charlie is lucky enough to win the prime job – running messages for Squizzy Taylor, the most dangerous gangster in Melbourne. But things start to get a little too hot for Charlie, so he decides to take the money and run . . .

eBook

Runner is available as an eBook so you can read the book on your notebook or mobile device using the ePlatform app 

The benefits of an eBook are that you can:

Change the font
Change the font size
Change the spacing
Change the background colour
and more....                   
Note if it is on loan you can  Reserve it, to be notified when it's ready

(it also has basic text to speech)

Direct link to the book: https://whitefriarscollege.wheelers.co/title/9781742281360/epub?pid=22750398

Audiobook

An audiobook is available from both our digital book platforms:
 https://whitefriars.libguides.com/Audiobooks

BorrowBox
Click here to access BorrowBox Audiobooks on your laptop or simply load the BorrowBox app. to your phone or tablet (Apple & Android apps available).
BorrowBox Audiobook login is your College email and your College password. 
Direct link to the book: https://whitefriars.borrowbox.com/product/PAU_925342/title/runner

Wheelers
Click here to access Wheelers Audiobooks on your laptop, or simply load the Wheelers app. to your phone or tablet (Apple & Android apps available).
Wheelers Audiobook login is your College username (not email) and your College password.
Direct link to the book: https://whitefriarscollege.wheelers.co/title/9781760899097/mp3?pid=100303698

About the Author

Robert Newton works as a firefighter with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. His first novel, My Name is Will Thompson, was published in 2001. Since then he has written seven other novels for young people, including Runner, The Black Dog Gang (shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards) and When We Were Two (winner of a Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction). He lives on the Mornington Peninsula with his wife and three daughters.

https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/robert-newton

 

Resources

Setting the scene: Melbourne in the early 1900s

Marvellous Melbourne:

Explore Melbourne Museum’s ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ exhibition at:

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/resources/marvellous-melbourne/

There are links to a timeline (including 1910s-1920s) at the bottom of the page. You can also take a virtual tour of the museum’s ‘Melbourne Story’ exhibition.

Melbourne CBD images:

Runner is set in 1919, but this earlier (1910) clip gives an idea of the transport and cityscape of the Melbourne CBD area:

https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/marvellous-melbourne [2min27]

Excerpt from Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South (1910). NFSA title: 9525

Slums of Melbourne images:

https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/such-was-life/the-slums-of-melbourne/

Article about Melbourne slums in first half of 20th century:

Herald Sun, 11 August 2014, ‘Haunting images of the streets that were once home to Melbourne’s slums’ -

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/haunting-images-of-the-streets-that-were-once-home-to-melbournes-slums/news-story/8929dd97a96343ae9de160c637a16c0c

The Rosella Tomato Sauce factory:

https://rosella.com.au/our-story/

https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/rosella-preserving-company/

Richmond - Place

eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online

The Spanish Flu:

ClickView:

Pandemics

The word pandemic comes from Greek and means “pertaining to all people”. At the end of 2019, the infectious disease covid-19 was discovered. It then spread all over the world, which had enormous consequences for millions of people. In this educational clip, we go through what characterizes a pandemic. You will learn about known pandemics such as the Great Death, the Spanish flu, the Asian, the Hong Kong flu and the swine flu. You will also learn concepts such as infodemias, as well as the importance of credible sources in times when false rumors spread quickly.
https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/38051623/pandemics?customerId=83d1d8f5-d840-933e-ab77-b573878fabbb&ssoRedirect=true

Australian Story

Lest We Forget — Australia and the Spanish Flu (30mins) 2020

As the nation begins to emerge from the grips of COVID-19, Australian Story explores the Spanish Flu of a century ago and the eerie similarities to today.

https://www.abc.net.au/austory/spanish-flu/12915302

Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) ‘An Intimate Pandemic: The Community Impact of Influenza in 1919):

https://www.rahs.org.au/an-intimate-pandemic-the-community-impact-of-influenza-in-1919/

RAHS Research Guide (PDF) (2019) https://www.rahs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Research-guide-final-version.pdf

Hobbins, Peter (2020) Teaching History (Vol 54, No.4) Defining Moments ‘Don’t stand so close to me: Schools in the pandemic front line of 1919’ (PDF) https://www.rahs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/9378-Hobbins-2020.pdf

Richmond Football Club:

Anything on the player mentioned in the book?

Mapping Charlie’s race:

Maps of Cremorne, Richmond, the CBD

Mapping Charlie’s neighbourhood – see Learning Task on Korowa LibGuide

Links to Google Maps and Google Earth

Australia Maps :: Melway, Sydway, Brisway, Ausway, Street Smart, Map of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, ACT, Tasmania (street-directory.com.au)

Squizzy Taylor:

The Rise and Fall of Squizzy Taylor Part 1 [7min59]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui7n-2m9MV0&t=6s

 

Squizzy Taylor biography - https://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/rebels-outlaws/city-criminals/squizzy-taylor (State Library of Victoria)

Joseph Leslie (Squizzy) Taylor (1888-1927) - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/taylor-joseph-leslie-squizzy-8762 (Australian Dictionary of Biography)

 

Newspaper article, p. 4 The Canberra Times (28 October 1927) – ‘“Squizzy” Taylor Dead. Shot in Duel. End of Famous Criminal’ - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1218831 (Trove, National Library of Australia)

 

Newspaper article, p. 15 The Argus (28 October 1927) – ‘Revolver Duel. Two men killed. “Squizzy” Taylor a victim’ - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1218831 (Trove, National Library of Australia).

 

Newspaper article, p. 3 The Argus (27 November 1953) – ‘Memories of “Squizzy”’ - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23302821 (Trove, National Library of Australia)

 

Squizzy Taylor

Joseph Leslie Taylor (1888 - 1927)

Source: Peter Smith, Herald Sun, 2 July, 2013

References

References to media on this page: