April 2026 Rather good group of buildings on the Bourke Street Mall that are easily overlooked. The first two have been joined together since the 70s at least, with various unsympathetic verandahs, and now about to get a less intrusive one that will at least feel like two buildings. The first one was built as … Continue reading Three old shops, Bourke Street →

17 March 2024 We think of coffee being very Melbourne, and largely because post war Italian migrants got us hooked, but coffee has been around a lot longer that that ! Coffee was actually more popular in Britain than tea until the 1850s, but I’m not sure exactly how it was made, though probably a … Continue reading The history of Coffee in Melbourne →

16 March 2024 The 1875 cast iron fence and gateway at the Grattan Street entrance to Melb Uni was dismantled for the Melb Metro station and is right now going back in place (photos from @metrotunnelvic). Designed by Reed & Barnes in a Tudor style to match their 1860 gate lodge, they originally had two … Continue reading Melbourne University entrance fence →

Original post 14 March 2019: #Terracehouses, Delbridge Street, #FitzroyNorth; Essex House, Stoneleigh House, Parkview House, and St Elmo, probably all 1880s. We call them terraces, but strictly a ‘terrace’ means a row all the same, which is much more typical in the UK or the US (where they’re called #rowhouses). Whereas in Melbourne and Sydney … Continue reading Terraces North Fitzroy →

March 2024 Visited the Dandenong Civic Square by @lyonsarchitecture with @rush.wright.associates landscaping, completed 2015. Harmony Square is the name for the public plaza that’s at the heart of the Dandenong Civic Centre - it’s pretty much a miniature Fed Square, but with somewhat more attractive public spaces. The open space has similar earth toned patterned … Continue reading Harmony Square, Dandenong Civic Centre →

11 March 2024 Normamby Chambers, Little Collins Street, built in 1883, designed by Reed Henderson & Smart (so possibly Joseph Reed himself) for politician, lawyer and speculator MH Davies. Not terribly exciting, though the liberal use of incised and stylised decoration on flat surfaces is unusual (and low cost), and it makes a great termination … Continue reading Normanby Chambers →

11 March 2024 This rather grand house on the corner of Simpson and George Street East Melbourne was built in 1878, for timber merchant David Blair. It has a spacious two level arcaded verandah, looking rather Italian. It had hand painted ceilings and tiled floors, but from 1900 it was put to use as Mena … Continue reading East Melbourne mansion →

9 March 2019 An example of good taste 1930s Georgian in Powlett Street #EastMelbourne. ‘Regents Gate’ was built in 1937, and designed by #BernardEvans (20 years later Lord Mayor of Melbourne). Great little development of studio apartments, all looking onto the lovely central garden, curving together at the rear. Wouldn’t have had kitchen in the … Continue reading Studio flats, Georgian style →

10 March 2019: Every time I look at the #KingStreetBridge I wonder which bit collapsed ? And what do the repairs look like ? No one died or was hurt, so it was apparently taken as just really embarrassing, because it was such a big deal in the 1950s, cost a lot, talked about for … Continue reading King Street Bridge →

8 March 2024 The fantastical St Kilda Baths, a collection of exotic domes hovering in the sea. Id seen images of this ages ago, the first time in Maggie Fooks dreamy 1987 short film Pleasure Domes, but not much since, and these are all I could find. It was one of many sea baths built … Continue reading St Kilda Sea Baths →