5 September 2017: Fabbo #terracepair on Royal Parade, Parkville, built 1888 (peak of the #landboom) with a wealth of crunchy detail, never painted. The distinctive elements like the wheeled #scrolledbrackets on the #parapet and the stumpy columns look very much like the work of builder/designer #NormanHitchcock. Love the grimacing lions. They’re also the relatively rare … Continue reading OTT Victorian In Parkville →

6 September 2019: Anyone remember The Secret Life of Us ? This c1928 block in #AclandStreet was where half of them lived. Having a popular TV series set in a suburb that was once cheap where the characters are young lawyers and doctors, well, it means you’re being priced out ! Then I moved to … Continue reading Secret Life on Acland Street →

Repost 2019: #KingsArcade, #HighStreetArmadale, 1893 or is it ? Just learned the shops were built in 1893, with a walkway through to the station, then the shops lining it to create a proper arcade didn’t happen till 1923. At first called Armadale Arcade, it’s now named not after the King but the King family, who … Continue reading Kings Arcade, Armadale →

I’d seen this building before but never knew where it was - now I know it was in Elizabeth Street between Lonsdale and Little Bourke, and that it burned down in a great fire in 1907. It was built as Wallach’s Furniture Emporium in 1887, the business having just been take over by Benjamin Fink, … Continue reading Wallach’s Furniture Emporium, burnt →

Repost 2016 (photo from 2013, then lots of photos from others including @tristan_davies) : The spooky, harry potterish #strongroom of the old #TitlesOffice. Note the shelves made of #slate, and narrow windows that have #castiron shutters outside, all in case of fire. This part might be 1870s or 1880s. It actually consisted of two double … Continue reading Titles Office strong room →

Repost 2018: Guard dog and giant two-towered, much-verandah’d #ToorakMansion #Sebrof in #OrrongRoad. 1884-5, Dalton & Gibbons, originally in 6 acres of grounds (and ok, it’s really #Armadale). 2021: not a lot of easy info in this one, not on the VHR, and the Trust citation has nil. @stonningtoncitycouncil entry though tells me it was bought … Continue reading Sebrof, Armadale →

Repost 2018: #OldandNew, the photo that always pops up as old #Melbourne contrasted with the new. Happened by accident I think; a large #Lshapedsite in#CollinsStreet created in the mid 70s bit by bit, not including the former women only #AlexandraClub, guess they didn’t want to sell (itself created by adding on both sides and the … Continue reading Old charm vs 80s glam →

3 September 2016 : Griffiths Tea Warehouse, 1900, #WardAndCarlton. By the 50s or so was occupied by the Herald, then it was Lindrums Billiards 1973-88. Then restored, paint cleaned off, to become the Lindrum Hotel in 1999 - now to be more or less facaded for another apartment and hotel tower. They’ll keep most of … Continue reading Griffiths Teas, and billiards →

Repost 2013 : Enterprise house 1976. Not only an #uglybuilding but replaced the fabulous 1888 #boomstyle #federalhotel. 2021: now Enterprise House has been demolished too, to be replaced by a huge lump of an office building, taking in the site to the left as well, designed by @coxarchitecture and @gensler_design.

Repost 2019: I’m a sucker for some good #GeorgianRevival, and this pair on Anderson Street South Yarra are fine indeed, and a bit quirky, two wide shallow joined houses. Designed by #GeorgeSommers, 1935. Im always a bit surprised when the real estate blurb mentions an architect I’ve never heard of, but then the Toorak/#SouthYarra axis … Continue reading Georgian, but gutted, South Yarra →