A comprehensive account of the first decade of the graffiti-writing subculture in Melbourne, Australia, this compilation pays tribute to the individual writers and crews who established the city"s reputation as a global street-art presence. Beginning with the year 1983, this volume depicts the rapid changes in styles in these early years as Melbourne"s graffiti changed from simple scrawls to intricate murals of astonishing complexity. Part visual encyclopedia and part social history, this compelling record details the events, spaces, materials, and folklore of what made up the lives of the early graffiti artists.