Original post 17 Jan 2018: Yes that is a Chinese style roof, which youβve probably noticed on the east side of #PuntRoad, cnr Gordon Grove (snapped from the bus). It was designed by #ArthurPurnell as his own house in 1928, which he called Shan Teng. Purnell lived and worked in Hong Kong, then Canton (now … Continue reading Chinese style in Punt Road
Tag: 1920s
Queen Victoria Building and Queens Walk Arcade
The delightful Queen Victoria Building, once on the corner of Swanston and Collins, in a close up of a painting from 1889 by Jacques Carabain, a French/Belgian artist who made a living going round the world and painting street scenes (usually exotic locales though). Then a scan of a slide of the building from the … Continue reading Queen Victoria Building and Queens Walk Arcade
Kingsclere, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1926
Original post 19 July 2020 Photos 29 June #Kingsclere in #FitzroyStreetStKilda has a rather late Edwardian facade for its 1926 date, but has an interesting interior, being built around a courtyard, very rare in Melbourne. Though seems architect #PJOconnor didnβt think the it needed to be anything other than very plain #redbrick; itβs quite lushly … Continue reading Kingsclere, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1926
Catani Clocktower, 1932
Original post 3 July 2020 The #CataniClocktower on the #UpperEsplanade, one of largest memorials to anyone in Victoria, and definitely for an engineer! Catani was Italian, and studied in Florence, before coming out here in 1876, got a job at the Lands Department, and by the 1890s was responsible for big projects like draining the … Continue reading Catani Clocktower, 1932
Windsor Court, Robe Street, a converted pub.
Original post 10 April 2020 Rearing up in the middle of the otherwise low scale suburban #RobeStreetStKilda is this idiosyncratic pile. It was created in c1920 by rebuilding the Star & Garter Hotel, which was delicensed in 1919; the conversion was designed by AV Gillespie. The hotel was originally a three storey 5 bay thing … Continue reading Windsor Court, Robe Street, a converted pub.
Georgian Revival in East Melbourne
Original post 22 February 2020 Photos 3 October 2019 This set of 1860 terraces in George Street #EastMelbourne was given a Georgian makeover in 1929, it seems by just replacing the verandah with a nice portico. Pretty flowers. Not sure if flats or always a small hotel (which at the moment gets terrible reviews).
Wyndham, St Kilda, 1927
Original post 21 February 2020 Finally got a good shot of this fine elliptical #portico; part of Wyndham, a 1927 #blockofflats which has this portico as entrance and shared balcony overlooking their generous lawn, where I often see families with kids picnicking or even having parties. It faces another block that also has a side … Continue reading Wyndham, St Kilda, 1927
Kurrajong is a tree not a bird π
#KurrajongHouse in #CollinsStreet near the Regent is fine to look at but curiously without a clear style; itβs sort of squared off abstracted classical but really quite plain except that itβs all windows, mostly in the protruding central bay. Built 1936-27, it was designed by #RMandMHKing, a father and son team, better known for houses, … Continue reading Kurrajong is a tree not a bird π
Toorak Tudor
Original post 19 December 2018: As you know, I do love suburban #MockTudor shops (#OldEnglish is the proper name), and #ToorakVillage has the best examples. No 474-6, south side east end is the best one, dating from 1932, Built for William Ford chemists, and designed by #RobertHamilton, who said βI wanted to show the good … Continue reading Toorak Tudor
Big old office building, National Bank, Geelong, 1928
I like it, nice detailing, but I think itβs rather #topheavy, the way the lower levels are inset behind the #faience #ioniccolumns. #NationalBankofAustralasia, #MalopStreet, #Geelong, completed Jan 1928, designed by #TompkinsandTompkins from Melbourne, squeezing it in with all their other work! Chamber us intact too, though you can hardly see the columns through the clutter.









