The City of Monash, named after World War I commander Sir John Monash[2] and the local Monash University (established 1958), was created on 15 December 1994 when the state government amalgamated local councils all over Victoria, merging a substantial portion of the former City of Oakleigh with the whole of the former City of Waverley.

Monash has a diverse population, with 45.1% of its residents born overseas (compared to 29.0% across Melbourne),[11] coming from more than 30 countries,[12] with significant Chinese, UK, Greek, Indian, Malaysian and Sri Lankan populations.

The collection is diverse and includes many iconic images and the work of photographers recognised as nationally significant.

[19] Speak the Wind, an exhibition of photographs by Hoda Afshar, took place from 29 April to 22 May 2022, as one of a series of official exhibitions of PHOTO 2022: International Festival of Photography, taking place in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

[20] Afshar published a book of the same name in 2021, which includes an essay by Michael Taussig[21] and documents the landscapes and people of the islands of Hormuz, Qeshm, and Hengam, in the Persian Gulf off the south coast of Iran.