11 February 2025 With my new found acceptance of big things everywhere, this sort of stuff becomes ok-ish. On the north side of Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick, there’s about 7 large area tallish developments, all with 2-3 floors at street level, then a good setback then up again. They’re variously dull or slightly interesting, all … Continue reading Glenhuntly Road →

11 February 2025 91 Westbourne Grove, Northcote, in 1893 - I thought it was interesting because it shows that sometimes the cast iron lace was picked out in different colours. (Also, the fence is somehow much the same!). The shots were taken by keen amateur photographer Dr Thomas George Beckett, who lived here with his … Continue reading Northcote original →

9 February 2025 The Melbourne Cable Trams were rather extraordinary things - people sat virtually on the road on the front ‘dummy’ car, pulled along by a hidden cable under the road - it must’ve been such fun to sit up front (in nice weather anyway). Apparently they were very quiet, just a slight hiss … Continue reading Cable Trams →

7 February 2025 The 1989 St Kilda Police Station at the bottom of Chapel Street is not a likeable building, but it’s notable that it was heritage listed only about 10 years later ! In fact it was identified for listing in a 1992 St Kilda study, which unusually had a brief to look at … Continue reading St Kilda Police Pomo →

4 February 2025 Sheer frameless mirror glass was all the rage in the 80s, and this one on the corner of St Kilda Road where Toorak Road becomes Kingsway is the shiniest and sheerest of them all. Reflects its surroundings so much maybe you havnt even noticed it. Derided at the time, Im now a … Continue reading Who’s the most mirrored of them all ? →

4 February 2025 A few modernist houses in the Yarra Boulevard heritage precinct that I snapped in 2016 on the theme of ‘elevated above the carport’. It was a bit of a fight to get the precinct up, with some owners opposed, others all in favour, and very glad it happened in 2014. The precinct, … Continue reading Kew Modern, Studley Precinct →

2 February 2025 The RMIT Green Brain that I photographed in 2013; I quite like it, sort of like a huge sculpture that sits on top of the building, though normally I’d say no additions or keep them low and simple. Could do without the green cloud verandah though. It was designed by @armarchitecture, completed … Continue reading Brain fart →

1 February 2025 Rather fabulous townhouses in Brighton Road Balaclava, corner of Albion Street, where all wall surfaces including the chimneys are made up of crazy-paved brick/blockwork, in a range of sizes and colours, including bricks with impressed patterns. And that’s on top of also going all Art Deco, with nearly every corner delightfully curved, … Continue reading Crazy Deco brickwork →

1 February 2025 Im posting this block of flats at the bay end of Robe Street St Kilda not because of its architectural qualities, though it is a very nice combo of Arts & Crafts and Spanish, but because of a memory it evokes - waaay bank in the mid 80s when I was a … Continue reading Grand scale flats, St Kilda →

1 February 2025 A rather unusual but fun parapet detail on 6-8 Fawkner Street St Kilda, which I’m told dates from 1901 and was designed by Sydney Smith & Ogg - but they often used the famous Arts & Crafts designer and teacher Robert Haddon, who sold designs to other architects. The very Art Nouveau … Continue reading Art Nouveau in St Kilda →