27 February 2025 A grand Georgian style house in Landale Road Toorak; I thought it was maybe 1950s, since there’s few embellishments, but turns out it was built probably in the early 30s. It’s called Aroona, and the site and the street were once a larger estate of the same name with a fine 1869 … Continue reading Landale Road Toorak →

27 February 2025 Macpherson Robertson’s chocolate business, known by his nickname MacRobertson’s, started in Argyle Street Fitzroy in 1880, and by WW1 he had built a number of large factory and distribution warehouses in the area, mainly north of Johnston. The biggest one on the corner of Rose & Gore carried this huge neon sign … Continue reading Chocolate factories in Fitzroy →

23 February 2025 Some delicious Mock Tudor in Toorak, you’ve probably whizzed by on Williams Road, near Toorak. It’s got all the bits, some half-timbering, with complex brickwork in the gables, diamond page windows, tall chimneys, and a turret to boot. Looking a bit like a large house, it was built in 1933, designed PJ … Continue reading Toorak Tudor flats →

23 February 2025 The Sanitarium Factory in Warburton was in the news today, with a new redevelopment application coming up. This great Modernist cream brick landmark was completed in early 1938 by the Seventh Day Adventists to produce pure healthy products like Weet-Bix (one of my faves), which they did until 1997, when it was … Continue reading 30s Modernism in the hills →

21 February 2025 Halcyon, cnr Acland and Robe Street, #StKilda, 1886, architect #FrederickdeGaris. A typical towered #VictorianMansion, that had a billiard room, library and two coach houses - and I think still does. The architect was Frederick De Garis, who tended toward loads of elaboration, so this is relatively restrained for him, but features unusual … Continue reading Halcyon (days) and ‘tallest flats’ →

19 February 2021: Not my photo but isn’t it nice ? Can’t see this view from the street though. For sale for $26mill (!). Trawalla in Lascelles Road Toorak was built in 1868, and enlarged 1885, both designed by #LeviPowell (2nd time as Powell & Whitaker). I assume the wonderful verandah is 1868, but not … Continue reading Trawalla →

16 February 2025 Who hasn’t noticed this impressive shop building on the crest of St Kilda Road, cnr Alma, with that chandelier shop that was always having a sale ? Well it closed a year ago, and @studioy.com.au bought it, and director Yaron kindly asked me in to have a look - and it’s just … Continue reading Grand shops on St Kilda hill. →

17 February 2025 The very oriental-looking Orient Hotel once stood on the corner of Bourke & Swanston Streets, though not for very long. Not to be confused with the Oriental Hotel in Collins Street, it was first built in 1860 in a pretty restrained style, then the top two floors were demolished and rebuilt in … Continue reading Orient Hotel, Swanston Street →

13 February 2025 Photographed in 2014; my caption was then ‘old unrestored cottage’- might be all zhoojed up by now, but no idea where it was. Also, I now notice that the verandah posts are typically Edwardian thick turned timber, while everything else is Victorian. Oh, and the fence is Edwardian wrought iron and cyclone … Continue reading Unrestored in Brunswick →

12 February 2015: Fantastic Edwardian pair in #littlelonsdale saved from #demolition for #melbournecentral in the late 1980s. Both built 1905 for different owners but same architect, J E Burke, as rather showy warehouse/showrooms. The larger more decorative one was occupied by a hardware firm, the smaller one was for Coops who ran the shot tower, … Continue reading Jaunty Edwardians →