30 September 2024 Denton Hat Mills, Nicholson Street, Abbotsford, a wonderful huge wall of late Victorian polychrome brick. Designed by the versatile and prolific William Pitt, seems built in stages, two storeys by 1883, three by 1888. Apparently rare as a clothing factory powered by steam, but I think steam was also/mainly used to shape … Continue reading Big polychrome wall →

29 September 2024 Rusty remnant on Punt Road, near Bridge, photographed in Nov 2017; great overgrown garden. Untouched since perhaps the 60s, no sale or rent ads I can find.

24 September 2014: I think this is a very early cover, for the first Melbourne water supply system which was turned on in 1857 with water from the #yanyean #reservoir. That company was taken over by the MMBW (#melbourneandmetropolitanbaordorworks) in 1896, so it could just possibly be 1857. But probably later. Spotted on the footpath … Continue reading Pretty old service cover →

23 September 2015 Obligatory shot of the Beswicke Building in #brunswickstreet, 1888. Always thought that was just the #buildingname but actually thats the name of the #architect, John Beswicke, so it’s one of the few buildings named after its designer in Melb. Just read a book on his work by a descendant and he did … Continue reading Beswicke on Brunswick, and the Max →

23 September 2024 Ex-North Melbourne State School, Queensberry Street, designed 1883. In 2015 when I took the pics it was the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership, named after the first chief architect of the education department Henry Bastow, who is said to have designed 600 schools after primary education became compulsory in 1872. He based … Continue reading North Melbourne Bastow School →

22 September 2024 I took these photos of what I thought was some cute Deco or maybe 50s flats in Queensberry Street, North Melbourne in 2015, but thanks to the hyperlocal @housesofnorthandwestmelbourne I now know it was a house ! Built in 1962 for the Lamberti family, who had a music shop in Victoria Street, … Continue reading Brick box mid century →

21 September 2024 Not Melbourne and only real estate pics but - wow ! Noorlim, near Murchison, is one of the grandest mansions in the countryside; built 1879 for local pastoralist William Winter, it’s got an arcaded verandah on two levels wrapping around three sides, the obligatory tower, then a lobby, foyer and hall all … Continue reading Noorilim →

20 September 2016 Saunders House, Gatehouse Street, Parkville, 1962. Pretty much the first example of what the 1950s English exponents meant by #brutalism, turning away from slick #modernism to the honest use of materials and bold simple forms. So we’ve got lots of exposed concrete brick walls, and the tall #skillion roofs, and the #verandahs … Continue reading Early brutalist house →

17 September 2024 Had regular appointments in East Melb earlier this year, so took snaps of this crazy behemoth a few times, but the light was never right. Here’s what I said in 2017: #QueenBessRow #EastMelbourne - looks like a hotel or apartments but actually it’s three enormous #ThreeStoreyTerrace houses plus attics. Built in 1887 … Continue reading Queen Bess Row →

19 September 2024 Fine little Deco thing in Swanston Street near Bourke, usually hidden by trees. Built in 1936 for the Union Bank, back when all the banks seemed to have branches around here; the ES&A and State Bank had ones right opposite. It was designed by W&R Butler, with a facade in Stawell stone, … Continue reading Bank, Swanston Street →