This is the main #gatehouse at #ScotchCollege, Hawthorn, on the corner of Glenferrie and Callantina, presiding over the entrance to the boarding houses. It was built in 1917 as part of the first set of buildings for the school in its move from East Melbourne out to a very large site here that was the … Continue reading Scotch College gatehouse →

This towered mansion on Toorak Road West called Goodrest was built in 1885, and designed by #WalterBuckhurst, who got the job cos he was the owners son (!). It’s got a lot going on in a relatively small area, being an all-out mansion on a smallish site, with a mansard on the tower and a … Continue reading Goodrest mansion, South Yarra. →

Repost this day 2019: Must say I never really noticed the #RegentTheatreMelbourne growing up even though I spent a bit of time in the city - prob because it was closed and abandoned in the 70s; the basement #PlazaBallroom was added to the #CitySquare when it opened in 1980, but all that was left was … Continue reading Regent Theatre →

Repost 2017: Mandeville Hall, Toorak, originally Athelstan, important for the double #bowfront section of very big rooms, designed by #CharlesWebb, added in 1876 to the front of an earlier house. But it’s most important for the lavish and original interior decoration from the same date, by London firm #GillowAndCo, in rich late Victorian colours and … Continue reading Mandeville Hall, Charles Webb and Gillow & Co. →

An interesting block on Toorak Road West in South Yarra- built 1938, designed by one of my fave architects, #IGAnderson, but not quite his signature bold folded or curved volumes, a bit more domestic, and more typical Art Deco, but still plenty of curves and horizontals and verticals in feature brick- with a massive chimney, … Continue reading I G Anderson in South Yarra →

Repost 2015: Surprised to find that the area east of glenhuntly station is almost entirely 50s -70s #villaunits , the sort with a central drive, and some flats. Either not actually subdivided until then, or lots of earlier timber cottages replaced. I noticed a lots of indian inhabitants.

30 July 2018: Extraordinary glamorous 1988 house by #HolgarandHolgar at 57 #StGeorgesRoadToorak. Classical but reinterpreted through 70s curvy and diagonal transformations. The rounded curved corners of the front are rather Gaudi but the white and gold inside is a bit gaudy. Wrapped around a tennis court with an indoor pool in the rear wing and … Continue reading Holgar mansion in Toorak →

Repost this day 2018: #XavierChapel, #SchreiberandJorgenson, designed by #OleJorgensen 1925, built 1927-34. Seen this from Bakers Road since I was a kid, finally got in, thanks #MelbourneOpenHouse. This is essentially a large Baroque style church, with the 3 domes, but simplified, with a Neoclassical Ionic portico, rather huge for a school chapel. Apparently it’s had … Continue reading Xavier Chapel, Kew →

29 July 2019: Truly spectacular- #TayCreggan in #Hawthorn was open today for the first time (I think) for #openhousemelbourne2019. Designed by #GuyonPurchas (son of #AlfredPurchas) as his own house in 1891-2 but the depression hit and he had to sell it, possibly unfinished. But he came back to do alterations for the new owners in … Continue reading Tay Creggan, Hawthorn →

Repost 2018: Finally got to see inside #SacredHeartStKilda, #JosephReedArchitect; surprisingly only the front part of the nave built in 1884, the side aisles and the altar end added in 1922 (after a fire- must’ve been short and tall looking !), but reportedly completing the Reed design (certainly the sides match the front perfectly). The Reed … Continue reading Sacred Heart St Kilda →