Julian Varricchio and Jack Ruben
Our Origins
A shared curiosity about the places that made us, and the stories still waiting inside them.
Where it began
It started as an idea to capture the essence of a place we call home.
Julian’s photography and Jack’s writing came together as a celebration of the Mornington Peninsula. From there, the idea expanded toward other places that had shaped their imaginations.
Not simply a timeline. A collection of moments that keeps gathering meaning.
01Our story begins
The first idea was to capture the essence of the Mornington Peninsula by placing historical photographs beside the present day.
Photography and writing became a way to celebrate a place they knew intimately.
02From past to present
Familiar pubs, streets and coastlines appeared almost unrecognisable in the archive. The area had evolved, but traces of its earlier character remained.
03A lifelong friendship
Their friendship began more than 25 years ago. A school camp to Sovereign Hill helped ignite a shared interest in history, architecture and storytelling.
04Capturing change
Jack weaves history into the present day while Julian records the visual development of buildings, landscapes and daily life.
05Explore and reflect
Origins invites readers to reflect on a place’s history, witness its development and imagine what might come next.
Places change. The stories they hold do not disappear. They wait to be found again.
Explore the pages.Witness the development.Envision the future.
Origins is a way of looking again: at the streets we know, the people who came before us and the details that make a place feel like home.
Explore Origins