This is an exhibition curated by students of Master of Communication Design.
How did generations of Australian children come to see and understand the country through books?
Featuring historical publications, manuscripts, illustrations, proofs and archival material, the exhibition reveals how books were written, illustrated, edited, produced and circulated. Visitors are invited to look closely at how Australia’s landscapes, animals, people and everyday life were represented, and to discover the many contributors involved in shaping these publications.
Through an accessible and exploratory experience, Why? ...And Because asks audiences to reconsider the familiar children’s book as the result of many choices, collaborations and changing ideas about education.
Where: RMIT City Campus, Swanston Library, Building 10 Level 5, 360 Swanston St
Library opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 8am–8pm
Saturday to Sunday: 12pm–5pm
Whitcombe & Tombs was a printing, publishing and bookselling company founded in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the 1880s. Over time, it grew into an important Australasian publisher, with educational publishing becoming one of its main areas of work. By the early twentieth century, the company had begun expanding into Australia and developing a strong presence in school publishing.
In 1902, Whitcombe & Tombs began exploring Australian education market. As the company expanded, it started producing and adapting publications for Australian schools and local classroom needs. It later established operations in Melbourne and Sydney and published textbooks, school readers and teaching materials for different states. These publications covered subjects such as reading, history, geography, mathematics and nature study, as well as children’s story books and supplementary readers. Many were adjusted to suit different state syllabuses, year levels and educational requirements, allowing the company to respond to the different ways schooling was organized across Australia.
Through its long involvement in school publishing, Whitcombe & Tombs became an important part of Australian educational publishing. Its books appeared in classrooms across different states and reached generations of students. Throughout much of the twentieth century, these publications became part of the everyday learning and reading experience of many Australian children, while also reflecting the changing priorities and expectations of Australian education.
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
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