Published as part of the Anarchism in Australia project.
Recollections and comments about Barricade Books received by the Anarchism in Australia project.
The editors of Red & Black Notes in no way vouch for the accuracy or completeness of any comments, recollections or participants accounts we have received!
1. Correspondence from ‘Lugius’, July 2022
“‘Barricade Bookshop’ was established in March 1995 at 115 Sydney Rd., Brunswick.
The initial funding was provided by the fund established by the ASF Special Group ‘International Workers Club’ established in 1989.
The aim of the IWC was to raise enough money for a deposit to purchase premises that would be suitable as an infoshop/gigspace in Melbourne.
After the failure to reach that goal, it was decided to dissolve IWC and to use the funds for other projects. To this end, proposals for projects consistent with the promotion and advocacy of anarchism in Melbourne were called for.
The fund was divided between two proposed projects; Barricade Books and Black Star PA.”
2. Recollections from ‘Caspoes’, August 2022
“I lived at Barricade. For a time my bedroom was the shed which was also the rehearsal space for Brunswick Wog Punks, a punk band whose name was written on a skateboard I borrowed and got taken to the cop shop with. The cop asked me if it meant I hated the wogs. Once we took a LifeSize cardboard Ronald Mc Donald from the Clifton Hill Maccas, handing over a ransom note promising to release him when Mc Donald’s stopped logging rainforests, exploiting workers etc.”