Good Taste, Fashion, Luxury

Melbourne grew during the 19th century from its fledgling roots into a global metropolitan centre, and was home to many people from a range of social and cultural backgrounds. The Martin family arrived in Melbourne in 1839 and soon established themselves at the genteel Viewbank estate near Heidelberg.

They were typical of the early, middle-class immigrants to Melbourne who brought their gentility and privilege with them to the colony. The Martins spent many years at Viewbank, and the physical remains they left behind provide a valuable case study for examining class negotiation in the colony through historical archaeology.

In this important study, material culture is used to understand the unique way in which the Martin family used gentility to establish and maintain their class position.