Georgian Britain - Georgian Australian - Victorian - Federation - Between the wars - Beyond the 1950s - Future directions (includes energy conserving and solar design); Interiors - Colonial kitchens - Gardens - Terrace - Portable house - Queensland style.

Architect-designed houses of the period 1950-65 proposed an innovative response to the social, economic, and climatic conditions of post-war Australia. At the same time they embraced the aesthetic, technological, and egalitarian aspirations of modern architecture. An Unfinished Experiment in Living traces the emergence of this architectural phenomenon in Australia, documenting the full range of its expression: from the postwar optimism of the early 1950s through to the affluence of the 1960s. It is a catalogue of the most significant houses of the period. It includes comprehensive plans and period photographs of 150 houses from around Australia, dating from a time when the great Australian dream was the single family house. This book puts forward new research founded on the premise that the most significant houses of the 1950s and 60s represent an unfinished and undervalued experiment in modern living. Issues such as the open plan, the changing nature of the family, the embrace of advances in technology, the use of the courtyard, and the orientation of the house to capture sun and privacy, were valuable and critical lessons. This is a compelling reminder of their continuing relevance. [Subject: Architecture, Design, Australian History, Sociology]

This book relates the untold story of how Australia's first diplomatic mission was conceived, designed and built. Commenced in 1913, Australia House was opened in 1918 while the Great War still raged. Being London's first purpose-built Dominion embassy building, it defined London as an Imperial capital. It is a story of ambitions and achievements - global, imperial, local and personal.

Behind the iconic images of Australian homesteads, beach houses and the billowing sails of the Sydney Opera House lies a rich and enthralling history of how Australians have responded to natural and urban environments, and in turn shaped Australian culture and society. The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture is the first major work of reference to be published on Australian architecture. This magnificent book documents and analyses Australian architecture and architects from indigenous beginnings to colonial, modern and contemporary eras. With over 1000 entries from 200 contributors, and 500 photographs and drawings, The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture provides an unparalleled compendium of architectural knowledge. It is essential reading for all who care about the built environment.

Fifty years after its first publication, Robin Boyd's bestselling The Australian Ugliness remains the definitive statement on how we live and think in the environments we create for ourselves. In it Boyd rallied against Australia's promotion of ornament, decorative approach to design and slavish imitation of all things American. 'The basis of the Australian ugliness,' he wrote, 'is an unwillingness to be committed on the level of ideas. In all the arts of living, in the shaping of all her artefacts, as in politics, Australia shuffles about vigorously in the middle - as she estimates the middle - of the road, picking up disconnected ideas wherever she finds them.' Boyd was a fierce critic, and an advocate of good design. He understood the significance of the connection between people and their dwellings, and argued passionately for a national architecture forged from a genuine Australian identity. His concerns are as important now, in an era of suburban sprawl and inner-city redevelopment, as they were half a century ago. Caustic and brilliant, The Australian Ugliness is a masterpiece that enables us to see our surroundings with fresh eyes. This handsome anniversary edition is complemented by Robin Boyd's original sketches for the book and a new afterword by major contemporary architects.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the work of Lloyd Wright, Gropius and Mies Van Der Rohe strongly influenced a generation of young Australian architects, who adopted modernist principles in their work. In Iconic Australian Houses: Three Decades of Domestic Architecture, Karen McCartney presents 15 significant examples of homes from this period, each designed by a different architect, that combine outstanding architectural principles and authentic interior decor. A detailed introduction places the period in social, historical and architectural context, before each of the selected homes is individually reviewed in an informed and engaging style. In each example the relationship between the architect and owner is discussed, as is the linking of the building to its site, materials and architectural detailing. The author has interviewed many architects and owners for their personal insights. Each study includes a feature on the interior decoration and a discussion of designers and manufacturers of iconic furniture, fittings and fabrics. Iconic Australian Houses features stunning photography, both panoramic and detailed, throughout. The homes from these three decades form a significant part of Australian architectural history and this book is a timely reminder of the need to preserve them as cultural artefacts.

The material world of European settlement in Australia has been uncovered not only by historians but also by the work of archaeologists. These archaeological inquiries have revealed new pictures of the public and private lives of Australians at home and at work. This book, previously published as a hardback under the title Of the Hut I Builded,now in paperback, presents the insights gained from such investigations and makes them available to a wide audience. Historical archaeology is broad ranging and this book discusses the first European towns, including those settlements that failed, the archaeological traces left by the convicts, and archaeological evidence of the agricultural, maritime, industrial, and manufacturing activities of early Australia. Graham Connah also examines the evidence of earliest contact between Europeans and Aboriginal people.

The story of Australian architecture might be said to parallel the endeavours of Australians to adapt & reconcile themselves with their home & neighbours. It is the story of 200 years of coming to terms with the land: of adaptation, insight & making do. Early settlers were poorly provisioned, profoundly ignorant of the land & richly prejudiced towards its peoples. They pursued many paths over many terrains. From the moist temperate region of Tasmania with heavy Palladian villas to the monsoonal north with open, lightweight stilt houses, the continent has induced most different regional building styles.

This collection of essays, first published in 2000, was the first systematic attempt to explain the social, administrative, technical and cultural history of 'European' housing in Australia. Written by a collaborative team of scholars from a wide range of disciplines, it explains how Australian housing has evolved from the ideas brought by the first settlers, and what makes Australian housing distinctive in social terms. This book covers a broad range of topics including the ways in which houses reflect social values and aspirations, the relationship between houses and gardens, the home as a site of domestic production and consumption, and an exploration of how housing provides the basis for developing a sense of community. The book will be invaluable for students of urban affairs and those engaged in housing and the design professions, as well as policy-makers and analysts in the public and private sectors.