Phar Lap

By:   Michael Reason
Imprint:   Miscellaneous
Country of Publication:   Australia
Edition:   Anniversary Edition
Dimensions:   Height: 240mm,  Width: 170mm, 
ISBN:   9781921833786
ISBN 10:   1921833785
Pages:   160
Publication Date:   01 April 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Born and raised in Hobart, Tasmania, Michael Reason moved to Melbourne after studying History at the University of Tasmania. After a stint working in the financial sector, he happily gained a customer service position at the new Scienceworks Museum at Spotswood. Whilst there, he undertook a Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies at Deakin University, which helped him move in Collection Management work in Science and Technology and Social History Collections. Highlights included working with the 80,000 large format negatives of the Laurie Richards collection, which documented commercial life in Melbourne from the 1950s to the 1970s. In the 2000s, Michael was able to move across to the Curatorial team; first as a generalist curator and then establishing his own area, which he was able to christen `Leisure and Social Spaces'. His areas of particular interest include post 1900 fashion, film and television production and distribution, festivals and events (such as Moomba, Olympic Games and Melbourne Cup), Australian toys and games and local jewellery design. Michael is also curatorially responsible for the museum's iconic Phar Lap and related exhibition.