Purnell in Hawthorn

31 August 2019:

This is my father’s house in Creswick Street #Hawthorn, and blow me down I’ve suddenly discovered who designed it and when ! #ArthurPurnell, in 1937. I always liked its quirkiness, me and my bothers helped convince my mother to buy it in 1988, and I thought it was 1920s all this time. It was originally a warm buff (which I knew from seeing under the white paint), and the roof was originally painted green. Purnell had a long varied career, spent the 1900s in Canton, designing numerous things, then came back here in 1910 and designed a whole heap more, including a few things with a Chinese influence (check Wikipedia). He mainly did commercial work, including the St Moritz St Kilda, and the southern stand at the MCG, and lastly the Olympic Stand there too, 1956 – all those are long gone but plenty of other work left. Photos 2024