21 December 2024 Such a huge front they built for the #prahranmarket in 1891. Great #queenannestyle design by Charles D’ebro. But why isn’t there a grand old market behind it ? Turns out the market started here in 1881 in a series of open sheds like the Queen Vic, then they added the overly large … Continue reading Prahran Market →

19 December 2024 Ok I’m going to say it, I’m now going to accept that there will be apartment towers just about everywhere. And large dense developments too. And prices will go up again. This is because Melbourne has and will grow in population by about 100,000/year. Last time I looked closely it was about … Continue reading Towers everywhere →

20 December 2024 The famous Dogs Bar in St Kilda was built as Colombo Court flats in 1927, in a nice sort of Spanish / Mediterranean style (sketch from newspapers, architect unknown). It was completely reimagined by restaurant/bar pioneer Donlevy Fitzpatrick as a European style wine bar, using newly reformed liquor licensing, opening in 1989, … Continue reading Dogs Bar St Kilda →

20 December 2021 (photos a mix of real estate and mine from 2016): I am very pleased to report that the quite extraordinary 1972 Seccull House in North Rd Brighton by Guilford Bell has been added to the #victorianheritageregister. The owner opposed, it went to appeal, but they didn’t win so it’s listed now. Why … Continue reading Seccull House, Brighton →

19 December 2024 Latest super luxury apartment tower on St Kilda Road down the bottom end rather oddly bulges outwards from its base, which is also set a bit below street level. It’s by @rothelowman and reminds me of a number of (unbuilt) projects by Zaha Hadid (last 3 pics); they’ve channeled her style before. … Continue reading St Kilda Road contemporary stuff →

19 December 2024 I do love a bit of 80s mirror glass, don’t ask me why, used to hate them. This one on St Kilda Road just up from the junction has seen better days, a bit streaked and looks abandoned. It’s got a large overgrown garden obscuring the zig zag inset ground level, and … Continue reading Mirror glass Pomo →

18 December 2024 A scoot around Charnwood Road/ Grove /Crescent in St Kilda, east of St Kilda Road - first, a wild Spanishy house from 1928, designed by Leslie Reed (who later did some Tudor shops in Toorak), right next door a more restrained Mediterranean style house from 1927 by Lewis Levy. Then a great … Continue reading Charnwood precinct, St Kilda →

17 December 2017, updated : John Danks, hardware merchants, started 1850s, built this grand store and HQ in Bourke Street in 1918, designed by #SydneySmithandOgg. I remember it as McEwans Hardware, another old hardware firm, which took over Danks in 1965, this branch closing in 1993. Then it was a failed shopping thing called The … Continue reading John Danks/McEwans →

16 December 2024 One of the many things I get excited about is early surviving bars in pubs - out of the many hundreds of pubs in Victoria, almost all of which got a makeover in the 1920s or 30s, only a handful havnt been modernised again and again since the 60s. This is the … Continue reading Railway hotel South Melbourne →

16 December 2024 The very nice geometric Art Nouveau ceiling of the former Thomas’ Music Store at the top of Bourke Street is still there, but its future a bit uncertain. Originally built in 1907 as an unusually cheery State Bank, designed by Sydney Smith & Ogg, Thomas’ closed in 2018, and was going to … Continue reading Art Nouveau ceiling →