The #StateGovernmentOffices at 1 Macarthur Street were completed in 1966; the design by #YunckenFreeman famously won a competition despite not putting the tower behind the #OldTreasury as they were supposed to, but this is of course the better solution. The State Chemistry Lab behind added in 1969 is in a far more solid #precastconcrete form, … Continue reading State Government Offices – doesn’t need palm trees.
29 March 2021 The very nice 1920s copper shop window of Machin&Co in upper ElizabethStreet, near the Queen Vic Market, retained along with the 1870 facade above it, instead of demolished as they wanted to do first, even though it was #heritagelisted ! (thanks to #MelbourneHeritageAction I’d like to think). @Australian nurses federation Rear facade … Continue reading Machin & Co facadism
Original post 27 March 2021: A bit crowded out but a bit of alright, the former National Hotel, Victoria Street, across the road from the Queen Vic Markets. Prob late 1930s, now and back when new. Relatively rare all new Art Deco hotel and four storeys too, when most pubs just two. Update 2024: it’s … Continue reading The National Hotel, North Melbourne, 1937
30 May 2025 An extraordinary thing, and a very great loss, and @ausnian_ recently alerted me to these excellent photos from 1939 from Pix magazine via @statelibrarynsw; here’s what I said in 2019: Norwood, Brighton, 1891-2, demolished 1955 - definitely the most weird and wonderful mansion of the #LandBoom era. The exterior was a mashup … Continue reading Norwood, Brighton, 1892-1955
Repost from this day in 2018: my fave OTT #MelbTerraceParapet in #ChurchStreetRichmond, so many details and so tall ! Sad to see it’s all white now, 3 1/2 years ago it was green and blue, with some lovely grime.
A horrifying might have been - a scheme from the mid 70s I think, amongst a bunch of images I’ve got from the files of the @nationaltrustvic - the saving of the Rialto and #Olderfleet buildings group happened by stages, with many skirmishes, including the demolition of the rear wings of the Olderfleet by then … Continue reading Saving the Olderfleet, 1970s
Original post 25 March 2018: ColesBourkeStreet, 1930, #HarryNorris (the lower bit added exactly matching in 1938, converted to David Jones Menswear 1986). Not the first but the oldest surviving and certainly the most colourful of the first examples of Art Deco to appear in Melbourne’s streets; must’ve been quite striking in its day, still is … Continue reading Coles Bourke Street, 1930
Original post 24 March 2021: A bit of beach-side #Brutalism, the #ElwoodSurfClub pavilion at #ElwoodBeach. Built in 1971, it was designed by #DonFulton, who had done some great houses in the 50s-60s, and the excellent BP admin building at #CribPoint in 1965. It replaced the 1928 changing pavilion (just like the one on St Kilda … Continue reading Elwood Surf Club Pavilion, 1971
Repost 16 March 2021: #Paragunyah, 168 Canterbury Road, Middle Park. A very striking and unusual house, c1898, but that’s all the Port Phillip Heritage Review has to say ! It has alternately square and circular columns, and seems to be missing a balustrade, or at least some urns. It’s far more Victorian than it’s date … Continue reading Paragunyah, Middle Park
8/10 for effort. I’d zoomed past this #terracepair on Canterbury Road #MiddlePark a million times like everyone else, had thought something not quite right - it was built in 1985! A pretty good attempt, right down to the pedimented windows, just perhaps a bit too much going on in a small area. It’s called KARMEN. … Continue reading Classic 1980s in Middle Park
If the Nazi's never took power, would Berlin have Europe's tallest skyscraper and East Prussia be a honeymoon destination ?
Storey of Melbourne 