#LowtherHall in #Essendon was in #openhousemelbourne but I missed it ! Closed at 2. But you can see from the street, and I found lots of historic photos. Became Anglican #GirlsSchool named after the then Archbishop in 1919, bought from #EWCole, of #ColesBookArcade, he bought it when he was in his 80s, that’s him in front, bit blurry, only for 7 years till he died there. He bought it in 1911 from the family of Collier McCracken, of #McCrackensBrewery, who built it in 1890, height of the #landboom like so many others (his uncle and business partner built an even bigger house nearby, now #StColumbanMission). Called #Earlsbrae, it was designed by #ArthurLawson, who had mainly practiced in NZ, found a fab bank in Oamaru from 1883, similar style – he came here in 1890 after a huge asylum he built in Dunedin started cracking up. Very unusual for a house in Melbs, so boldly #Neoclassical, a bit like some #plantationhouse from the American south, or an English Palladian mansion, but they didn’t have verandahs. McCrackens brewery was actually in the city, on Collins/Little Collins near King. Found an ok photo from the 60s of the #stairhall, very grand, and a measured drawing from the 1980s, back when that was a thing – at MU archi school we all had to draw up an historic building, a lot of work, there was a prize, i didn’t get anywhere near.

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