Iconic Australian Houses

Iconic Australian Houses: an exhibition by Karen McCartney explores 29 of the most architecturally important Australian homes of the past 60 years.

The exhibition begins in the 1950s with the works of a new breed of Australian architects, and culminates in key works from some of Australia’s contemporary masters.

This important exhibition looks beyond the physical structures to shine a light on the stories of the architects and clients.

The houses featured are brought to life through vivid photography, rich illustrations, 3D models and filmed interviews with the architects who designed the homes and the people who commissioned and live in them.

Names like Harry Seidler, Neville Gruzman, Richard Leplastrier, Glenn Murcutt, Hugh Buhrich, Peter McIntyre, Roy Grounds and many more, have all helped define Australia’s architectural identity and aesthetic and this exhibition presents some of their most defining works.

BEACH HOUSE ARCHITECTURE ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Lecture with Peter McIntyre
Saturday 27 May, 3pm for
3.30pm–4.30pm talk
Cost M $15 G $18  Venue MPRG,

Peter McIntyre designed The Butterfly House on the banks of the Yarra River in Kew in 1955, featured in Iconic Australian Houses. He employed principles of balancing forces that he learnt through winning the contract for the Melbourne Olympic Swimming pool. He studied under Robin Boyd and founded his first architectural practice in 1950, receiving awards for the Dinner Plain Alpine Village project, Parliament Station and the Jam Factory. In this talk Peter will discuss the Peninsula’s new style of ‘beach house’ architecture and the houses he has designed in the region.

A HOUSE WITH MANY STORIES

Morning tea at ‘Butterfly House’ hosted by artist Bin Dixon-Ward, granddaughter of Gerald and Nell McCraith
Thursday 15 June, 10.30am–12 noon
Cost M $12 G $15, includes morning tea
Venue McCraith House,
1-3 Atunga Terrace, Dromana.
Spaces are limited, bookings essential.

McCraith House, locally known as Dromana’s Butterfly House, is an architectural treasure of the 1950s designed by modernist masters Chancellor and Patrick. Artist Bin Dixon-Ward will host a morning tea in the house, recalling childhood memories of her grandparents’ house. Bin lectures and practises in gold and silversmithing and has an interest in modernist design. Discover how McCraith House’s shapes, colours and materials have influenced her own work. This is a unique opportunity to see inside McCraith House that was gifted to RMIT University in 2013 as a writer’s residency, hosting authors such as Hannie Rayson and Steven Amsterdam.

MORNINGTON PENINSULA REGIONAL GALLERY

Location: Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, MORNINGTON
Gallery Hours:Tuesday–Sunday 10am-5pm.
Exhibition admission fees: $4 adults / $2 concession
www.mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au