September 2026 If you’re a fan of cast iron lace like I am, you’ll be interested to see this c1900 terrace Wellington Parade Sth, Jolimont - the balustrade and frieze above are examples of the Edwardian fashion for lace that looked like wrought iron, flat panels of curly rods, with a hint of Art Nouveau. … Continue reading Queen Anne terrace house →

September 2026 The York Butter Factory in King Street, looking fine in the winter sun shadows. For its first 50 years it was actually two separate bluestone warehouses built around 1854, one wider than the other, which housed a variety of businesses (pic 11 is a high of what it looked like from Old Treasury … Continue reading York Butter Factory →

September 2026 This place in Bridport Street South Melbourne was a row of Victorian terraces, compete with their own L-shaped lane, but at some point in the 1920s or 30s were completely transformed into what looks like flats in the pic from 1970. Quite nice too. But then in the 80s or 90s turned back … Continue reading Cheerily wrong →

September 2026 This is where architecture was headed in the late 30s, towards a Modernism that was all about restraint and free of decorative flourishes - they had to be careful of the proportions, but this one nails it. The Union Bank and offices in the Paris End of Collins Street was built in 1938, … Continue reading Union Bank, restrained →

September 2026 The Olderfleet in Collins Street, built 1889 in fully frilly Gothic by William Pitt with a fantastical spire. The clock itself was stolen in the 70s, then returned when it was clear the building was going to be restored not demolished. 1968

September 2026 The 1887 police station in the west end of Bourke Street is rather dour Gothic, which perhaps what public works architect was SC Brittingham intended, though it would look cheerier if it was cleaned. The bluestone cell blocks behind were built a little earlier and it’s remarkable they’re still there, one of the … Continue reading West Bourke Police Station →

September 2026 Cute little bluestone warehouse in Little Collins Street near Spencer, dating from 1865. There are other early warehouses but mostly the more pretentious sort - this one is just plain rough bluestone, with a gable roof, the only nice details the quoining, that bullseye window, and the tuck pointing (which maybe came later). … Continue reading Pretty bluestone →

September 2026 This quirky thing is on Eildon Road St Kilda on a triangular block that was created in 1921, so it must date from that decade, with all those shingles, rough cast, and that cute bracketed out window, which the heritage study calls it ‘bizarre styling’. Also, has looked the same ever since I’ve … Continue reading What no windows →

September 2026 Faces to the names - three of the most prolific architects of the interwar years in cartoon form - Harry Norris (Nicholas Building, Coles, Majorca, Mitchell House), Marcus Barlow (Manchester Unity, Century House), and Kingsley Henderson (who doesn’t get any listed but did all the T&G Buildings, National Bank HQ Collins St). They … Continue reading Architectural characitures →

September 2026 The Age ran this story yesterday about tram routes proposed in a plan of 1923 - imagine a tram up Punt Road ! Or along Orrong, or Bell Street Brunswick. We would of course take them as normal of they’d happened. But that was back when cars were relatively few, no traffic lights … Continue reading Tram routes never built →