Major New Initiative for 2024
The Melbourne Anarchist Club is set to announce a major new initiative in early January 2024.
The MAC was established in 1988 as an anarchist printing press collective known as '@Press' becoming the single biggest producer of anarchist texts, magazines, pamphlets, posters and stickers in the history of anarchism in Australia. By 1999, '@Press' had ceased operation as a printing press having been overtaken by new printing technologies. The original premises in Brunswick housed 'SCAM Publications' collective, the office and archives of ASF Melbourne North and Barricade Books after they were forced out of their premises by rising rents. In 2001, the name was changed to the 'Melbourne Anarchist Club' as a tribute to the original Melbourne Anarchist Club of 1886-89.
By 2005, the prohibitive cost of required repairs necessitated the sale of the premises. Anarchists in Melbourne decided on a new membership structure at a meeting initiated by the MAC at Coburg Library in December 2006 . The original premises in Brunswick were sold in 2007 and after 18 months, new premises were opened in Northcote in September 2008. In 2012, the MAC merged with Anarres Books and under the new agreement became an Infoshop with a library and bookstore and commenced publishing the journals 'Black Light' and 'Sedition' and initiated the Fantin Reading Group.
In July 2018, members of the Melbourne IWW Branch in concert with a disparate group of radical liberal activists broke into, occupied and blockaded the MAC with the purpose of preventing the Annual General Meeting taking place. The MAC made numerous attempts to negotiate a resolution to the conflict while continuing to carry the costs of council rates, utilities and building insurance. Having run out of funds, the MAC re-occupied the premises in May 2019 but unable to raise the necessary ongoing funds were forced by circumstances to sell the premises in December 2020.
The MAC commenced a search for new premises in accordance with the March 2012 decision to establish an infoshop with two stipulations; it be a two-storey building, located as close to the CBD as possible.
Due to changed circumstances, the requirement to be located as close to the CBD as possible was rescinded and the search for a building was expanded to any premises suitable. After a long period of searching, the MAC collective agreed to even consider unimproved land.
In November 2023, the MAC made a significant decision that took into account current circumstances and consistent the original purpose of the '@Press' collective of 1988.
Statement by MAC about its future. 16 October 2020
After
a years-long struggle, the Melbourne Anarchist Club (MAC) has finally
thwarted an attempt by a small group of political activists to obtain
its premises by deception. As a result, we are now preparing to
recommit to our principal goal: educating the wider Melbourne
community about anarchism.
Over the course of its existence,
the MAC has become accustomed to attacks against it by a range of
racist and fascist groups. Most recently, a former Reclaim Australia
activist, Philip Galea, was convicted on 5 December 2019 of plotting
a terrorist attack against the MAC (Galea was also convicted of
planning attacks against the Resistance Centre and Victorian Trades
Hall Council).
Attacks from such quarters are, sadly, to be
expected. But it is disturbing that others, including alleged
radicals, have also tried to subvert our activities. In this
instance, members of the Melbourne branch of the Industrial Workers
of the World (IWW), joined by others from a small number of other
local, non-anarchist organisations.
The
actions of this group included occupying the space, preventing the
MAC from meeting and otherwise utilising the space, telling lies and
making slanderous assertions about the MAC, refusing conflict
resolution and independent mediation, and recklessly endangering MAC
members.
The MAC maintains that the organisations to which
these individuals belong, especially the IWW, should hold them
accountable for their destructive and irresponsible behaviour. The
MAC also demands the return of all documents and other materials
taken from its premises by members of these organisations.
Due to these extraordinary circumstances, and the financial burden placed upon it by the actions of this group, the MAC is currently seeking new premises from which to operate.
The MAC remains committed to supporting the campaign by Indigenous activists to Pay The Rent. In keeping with this policy, in 2018—2019 the MAC entered into an agreement with the Aboriginal Palestinian solidarity organisation to pay it 1% of the proceeds of the sale of the current property. Upon sale, the MAC will also be making a donation of $2,500 to Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. These donations are not a substitute for a Pay The Rent agreement but a gesture of support to an ongoing campaign.
The MAC is moving to new premises in 2019
The MAC is moving premises in 2019 and will be opening a new infoshop some time this year. The new infoshop will house the bookshop and library as well as meeting facilities.
MAC is closed for repairs and renovations
The Melbourne Anarchist Club closed on 5 May for much-needed repairs and renovations.
When completed the MAC infoshop will feature;
* a full range of anarchist books, DVDs and other media and texts
* a properly catalogued lending library
* upgraded meeting room facilities with an electronic whiteboard
* a reticulated water system
* a solar-powered electricity supply
* a small cafe serving tea, coffee and light snacks
The planned work will be supervised by qualified tradespeople who have graciously offered to donate their labour and to whom the MAC is most grateful.
It is planned to establish a Patreon account to fully cover the cost of materials
For further information, please use the message facility on this page or email:
melbanarchistclub@gmail.com