October 2026 There’s this Victorian mansion on Orrong Road Armadale set behind a huge swathe of lawn, so I had to find out the story. Which isn’t much. Originally called Kilbryde, it was built in 1876 for Robert Reid, whose company of the same name was a big drapery importer; he was also an MP … Continue reading Kilbryde Armadale →

October 2026 Very unusual fence on Orrong Road, Armadale, bluestone with brick edging. Must be 1920s, since the house is 1920s Californian Bungalow, but possibly it was just before WW1. I suppose it’s also possible that the fence reused bluestone from some demolished Victorian thing, but they’re in such a variety of sizes, unlike most … Continue reading Great fence →

October 2026 Very stylish flats in Orrong Road, Armadale, designed by Stuart Hall and completed in mid 1940. They’ve got a bit more going on than most, with curved corners complete with curved glass, and the entry/stairs feature inward curves then out again, with curved glazed walls to common balconies, topped by little towers which … Continue reading ‘All gas’ Deco flats Armadale →

Repost 2019: Spotted out the windows of #MyersMelbourne Menswear on the 4th floor - the ‘drum clock’, placed there with the Bourke Street frontage, completed 1934. So, like the building, I presume it was designed by #TompkinsAndTompkins. It’s got cute Art Deco stepped details you can see close up. It’s pretty big but it’s still … Continue reading Myer clock close →

October 2026 One day I’ll have done all dozen or so St Kilda Road / Queens Road mansions - this one peeking up above hedges on the corner of Queens Road and Beatrice was called Lanark, and was built in 1883 for William Wilson, who was the proprietor of Scott’s hotel in Collins Street. It’s … Continue reading Lanark, Queens Road →

October 2026 Some great old warehouses in the Hardware Lane precinct - here’s a few that back onto each other. Firstly, the big four level bunch built in 1889 for china and glassware importer John Dynon were designed by the prolific William Pitt - here he’s gone pretty simple, with just some two tone brickwork, … Continue reading Hardware Lane warehouses →

October 2026 This unassuming little building in #HardwareLane is actually one of the first examples of #ArtDeco in Melbs, dating from Sept 1930 (only Coles Bourke is earlier, March 1930). Cyclone House was built as the HQ and showroom for the cyclone wire company, who made the eponymous mesh fencing and other wire products, at … Continue reading Cyclone House →

October 2026 Always another Victorian mansion to discover - Carrigal in Mason Street Hawthorn is pretty speccy, with turrets and tall chimneys, lashings of polychrome brickwork, including some diamond shaped bricks, and quatrefoil wrought iron. I think the other side is just as good or better, with a corner tower, but now has a building … Continue reading Pioneering polychrome →

1 October 2026 I’m surprised to see this simple Edwardian industrial building is still intact ! It’s on the pointy corner of City Road and Whiteman Street. It was built c1910, with a red brick front reflecting the gable roofs behind, and the ‘back’ wall is just just clad in corrugated iron. The heavy timber … Continue reading Southbank industrial →

September 2026 Under the clunky Pomo of that hotel on Bridge Road next to the river is a remnant of the cable tram network. It’s the front wall of the car barn of Melbournes first cable tram line, that ran along Flinders Street then Bridge Road to here, which opened in 1885. The line was … Continue reading Cable tram wall →