July 2025

Pretty in pink ! Made it to Marne Street South Yarra today while the sun was shining, and this one stood out in all its frilly Spanish finery (the best bits are only top and bottom, but that ok!). Marne Court was built in 1930, designed by Gordon J Sutherland, and I think was pretty high class, some of the 10 flats are very spacious; it had a garage for each one out the rear, central heating, a caretaker, and a grass tennis court (must have been next door). The real estate pics are from 2016, flat 6 has probably changed a bit since then.

Garden Court, a rather severely styled early block of flats on the corner of Marne Street and Domain Road, South Yarra, built in 1918. Most of the first wave of flats in melb just before and after WWI were in a restrained red brick mode, maybe a bit Tudor or a bit Edwardian, but not much like houses of the period – often rather odd actually, and this one is vaguely Arts & Crafts or no style at all. Perhaps it was because flats were new and architects were quite uncertain what they should look like; they also didn’t think putting walls and windows right on the street was an issue, whereas later there’d be at least some garden setback, though some here look into the big courtyard. It was an early design by Joseph Plottel, who went on to do many other flats in a variety of styles. The layouts are quite spacious, and some have high ceilings, but no special internal decoration I can see. First pic and interiors real estate, rest mine.

26 July 2025

Architect EF Billson did two grand blocks of flats in Marne Street South Yarra within a few years of each other – he began his career with Walter Burley Griffin, then out in a partnership, then on his own in 1925, and when he designed Maritimo at no 1 Marne Street he finally abandoned the Griffin style, instead going for a lovely Mediterranean influence.

It’s got arches and a pergola (parts now missing), delicate wrought iron, and panels of decoration that are in the style of Louis Sullivan, famous in Chicago in the 1890s. The flats are huge ! With a maids room off the kitchen. But not much decoration.

Half way down the street is Manalto, from 1933, more modest but still ‘higher standard’. This time it’s all face brick, with quite unique geometric patterned brick panels, reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright, or maybe a bit German Expressionist. The front door has great leadlight. Some flats have an interesting curved alcove forming the entrance hall, though the kitchen is rather squeezed behind.

A better than average modernist apartment block in Marne Street South Yarra – turns out it’s by Anatol Kagan, who did some pretty great houses, built 1960. It’s quite plain, but has a slight classical feel with a horizontal parapet and prominent ground level columns. Exactly the same scale as the interwar flats either side too. It’s also got textured blockwork on one side, a rock wall by the entry, and nice floating stair. The flats also seem pretty spacious and light, and I found two intact bathrooms.

Moore Abbey, a fine example of garden court flats in the Tudor or Old English style, another interesting block in Marne Street, South Yarra. Some great brickwork, including the driveway, prominent chimneys, but otherwise plain.

It was designed by the busy Robert Hamilton, who worked mainly in the Toorak area, and liked a bit of Tudor. This one was built in 1933, as 6 three beds with sunroom etc, showing the great depression was already lifting.

• Uncategorized