A beautiful merry go round should not be the scene of trouble.

A merry-go-round    

                   A Riding Gallery.

I can’t wait to see that

in my new home in St Kilda.

In Melbourne’s St Kilda, as World War 1 begins, German immigrant Anton fulfils his dream of creating the most beautiful steam-driven “riding gallery” (a merry-go-round) in the world. Evelyn, who has just moved to the city befriends local boy Rory, but the war, and anti-German sentiment, soon takes its toll on the children, Anton, their families, and the riding gallery itself.

Based on true events, this is a  multiple point-of-view story, including poems created from contemporaneous newspaper  articles with illustrations from Martina Heiduczek.

ISBN: 9781760657345
Publisher:  Walker Books Australia
Release Date: 3 July, 2024
Australian RRP: $16.99

What the Reviewers are Saying

The Riding Gallery is a stellar example of both middle-grade verse novels and Australian children’s historical fiction.

(Claire Miller, Bookseller & Publisher)

This is a beautifully delivered examination of prejudice, mob mentality, stereotyping and ignorance which can be used with students from mid-primary up to lower secondary with ease.

(Sue Warren, Losang Zopa Blog)

In true Sally Murphy style, it is beautifully written and evokes the time period it is set in perfectly.

(Michelle, Lamont Standing Orders)

This is a great book to highlight the ways different people live and respond to the world around them and their community – and what tragedy can do to a town, tearing them apart or bringing them together.

(Ashleigh Meikle, The Book Muse)

Comprehensive teacher notes are available from Walker Books here.

You can see and hear the organ from the Riding Gallery , as well as glimpses of the ride, still operating in Canberra, in this video.