"CESTRIA" MANSION

"Cestria" is a Victorian mansion in Hawthorn, is one of the first and arguably the greatest American Romanesque Revival houses in Australia. It is of architectural significance for the survival of many interior features, especially the woodwork of the entrance/stair hall with its mahogany and American walnut staircase. The large west dining-room is also substantially intact with wallpapers and decoration from the time of the first owner.

"Cestria" was built for the wealthy biscuit manufacturer Thomas B Guest in 1891. Architect EG Kilburn of the partnership Ellerker and Kilburn signed the drawings. Kilburn had recently visited America, and the buildings he saw during his stay undoubtedly influenced the final design. "Cestria" followed close on the heels of Kilburn's American Romanesque design for an extension at the Priory Ladies School, St Kilda, which was finished in July 1890.

"Cestria" is architecturally significant as the greatest domestic example of the American Romanesque style of architecture in Victoria. Cestria is particularly significant as a reaction against the prevailing popularity of the Italianate style, which was characterised by cement rendered walls, parapets teetering with urns and other decorative features, and by cast iron. Cestria is significant for the part it played in the debate about an appropriate national style of architecture. It was hailed in contemporary building journals as being eminently suited to the Australian climate. The emergence of the American Romanesque and other red brick styles was central to the question of adapting an existing style to Australian requirements rather than creating a new one.

"Cestria" is located in a neighbourhood which contains a number of outstanding examples of Victorian and early Federation-style villas, combined with a series of well-designed and visually striking interwar houses and flats. Anchored by the visually prominent boulevard-like stretch of Glenferrie Road climbing past Scotch College, the place is representative of the changing patterns of development from the second half of the nineteenth century through to the interwar period.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

HAWTHORN

Burwood Rd in Hawthorn looking West towards the City. Always busy and with a good variety of historic buildings, interesting shops, galleries, Swinburne University of Technology campus and many cafés and restaurants.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

CAMBERWELL ART SHOW 2024

We visited the Camberwell Art Show last Saturday at the Swinburne University of Technology's Hawthorn Campus. It was a very well-organised, extensive showing of works by well-known, emerging and amateur artists. As always well-curated and displayed in a commodious and interesting setting. A most enjoyable outing once again this year!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

LET'S DO LUNCH

Melbourne is well-known as the "Food Capital" of Australia due to its many restaurants, cafés, patisseries, bars and various other eateries. Generally, the standard of food is very good as the competition is brisk and the public demanding and fickle. It's not unusual to see many business people closing a deal or doing other business over lunch...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY - SIGNS, SIGNS

Swinburne University of Technology is an Australian public dual sector university based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institution was founded by the Honourable George Swinburne in 1908 and achieved university status in June 1992. In 2009 there were 16,030 students enrolled in Higher education and an estimated 14,748 students enrolled in TAFE, including nearly 7000 international students from over 100 different countries. Swinburne has five campuses in Melbourne at Croydon, Hawthorn, Lilydale, Prahran, Wantirna – and one in Sarawak, Malaysia. As one of only five dual sector institutions in Australia, Swinburne offers both TAFE and higher education qualifications. This photograph is taken at the University's Hawthorn Campus.

This entry is part of the "Signs, Signs" meme.