1 October 2021: St Kilda Junction was once our version of Times Square or Piccadilly Circus (albeit more spread out) dominated by big neon signs, which even covered up the dramatic 1889 Junction Hotel. Traffic just made its own way through, then there was roundabout but only 1950-56, then the MMBW plan was for overpasses … Continue reading St Kilda Junction →

Repost 2019: Down a #culdesac in #Toorak i found this ! #HeyingtonGardens in #TheodoreCourt is apparently by #ErnestFooks, 1963. Great brickwork, patterned spandrels, lovely tiled entry. I would have got more /better photos but an older lady with east European accent emerged from her first floor balcony to tell me ‘you must get permission’ - … Continue reading Fooks in Toorak →

October 2019: 4th floor Myer Menswear view ! A wonderful pairing of intact historic buildings, #PublicBenefitBootery, Grainger Little Barlow & Hawkins, 1924 and #DevaHouse, 1926, #HarryNorris. Always loved this unique pair, which is a result of a subdivision of an original 1837 CBD block in the 19thC by sticking a lane down the middle, creating … Continue reading PBB and Deva House a fine pair. →

October 2021 This certainly stands out on #HighStreetArmadale. Says J Moran, est 1885, and that seems to be John Moran, licensed grocer and spirit merchant, who was fined in 1890 for selling liquor in less than 2 gallons, ‘the minimum under the licence’. Don’t think any relation to Moran & Cato since that Moran was … Continue reading High Street Armadale →

30 September 2017: Furniture from the Vienna apartment of the well-to-do Gallia family, completed in 1914, and designed by #JosefHoffmann, now in the NGV. It’s all very unusual and stylish and has a very fraught, amazing backstory. Hoffmann was a leading light of the c1900 #ViennaSecession movement. He then helped establish the #WienerWerkstatte, makers of … Continue reading Gallia Family Hoffman furniture →

Repost 2019: #OrrongTowers, 1958, probably the first high rise flats in Melb after Stanhill. Designed by #HerbertTisher, it’s a bit severe for Toorak, with expressed concrete floor plates and #concreteblock walls, ordinary windows, metal balustrades. Also the first (and one of the few?) #liftslab blocks in Melb, I think Sol Sapir also used the technique. … Continue reading Toorak High Rise is the first in Victoria (almost) →

Repost 2019: I hadn’t ever noticed this amazing house on #OrrongRoad even though you can see it perfectly well from the street. Apparently the sides were brick, but rendered at some point. Check out that Niemeyer triangular conc support! It’s by the little known Michael Feldhagen, early 1960s. Brought to my attention via Victorian Modern … Continue reading Fun Modernist in Toorak →

30 September 2017: The Supreme Court of Victoria, built as the Law Courts. This is the design that won the 1873 #competition - compared to what was built, it was far more articulated, and had a sort of forecourt space. Probably they added more rooms, and then simplified it, with a flatter front, losing the … Continue reading Supreme Court →

29 September 2019: Punt Road Oval #grandstand is not protected, and Richmond determined to demolish. It’s quite old, built 1914, the left bit added 1927, v old school, timber structure with posts right in front, other old ones nicer, but it’s not bad. Richmond hopes to replace it with a whiz bang new one one, … Continue reading Punt Road Oval Grandstand →

Repost 2019: The original #NorthMelbourneStation was built in 1886, very charming #castiron structure, with cute cresting on the edges, and those built in drainpipe/supports. Small but decorative brick sections too, I suppose just empty these days. As part of Melb Metro station, this is going to be renamed West Melbourne (which is where it actually … Continue reading North Melbourne Station →