Researching buildings and houses

Here are some books to help with your research. They were produced by government departments, community or private organisations and local history societies. You can find them in the Library's collection or possibly in your local library.

• The National Trust research manual: trace the history of your house or other places: detailed guidance from the National Trust experts makes it as easy and accurate as possible to research the history of properties and discover their heritage significance. Includes up to date details on repositories around Australia.

• How to trace the history of your house: this book teaches you how to trace the history of your house, including identifying housing styles, where to gather information and how to use historical documents.

• Recognising house styles, 1880s-1990s: chronologically organised from 1883 to 1992, this book uses photographs and diagrams to highlight the distinctive features of Victorian housing styles.

• Australian house styles: This book spans the history of Australian architectural, from the bark and split-slab cottages of the early colonial period to the sleek corrugated-steel pavilions of the twenty-first century. In between are country homesteads, city terraces, Federation villas, Californian bungalows and the austere fibro-clad cottages of the 1940s and 1950s. Includes sixty-three detailed drawings, an illustrated glossary of building terms and a short history of our domestic architecture. -- Back cover.

• Melbourne: the city's history and development: an important survey of the planning and building development of Melbourne from its foundation in 1834. This book includes information about roads, bridges, water supply sewerage and other services. Major architectural works are included.

• A heritage handbook: this book lists the major resources to consult and steps you through your search.

• More printed resources

 

 

                                                          The hospital buildings, Melbourne, H32492/7419

Browse our catalogue holdings of magazines using the subject heading Architecture Australia periodicals.

Some popular titles include:

• Architect Victoria

• Journal of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects

• The Australian home builder (continued as Australian home beautiful)

• Cinemarecord - an excellent resource if you are interested in the history and architecture of cinemas in Melbourne

 Facade of Astor theatre, St Kilda, H2002.166/6

Published in 1976, the Historic Building Studies of Melbourne’s CBD are divided into eight areas, examining the buildings and characteristics of each area. It provides descriptions of a building's history through maps, photographs, directory information, as well as architect and builder details. You can order the volumes below using your Library member number. Some of the building descriptions can also be found in the I heritage database, but not all.

Vol 1: area bounded by Little Collins, Flinders, Spring and Elizabeth Sts.

Vol 2:  area bounded by Victoria, Spring, Lonsdale and Swanston Sts.

Vol 3:  area bounded by Lonsdale, Swanston, Victoria and Elizabeth Sts.

Vol 4: area bounded by Flinders, King, William and La Trobe Sts.

Vol 5: (3 vols) area bounded by Elizabeth, Lonsdale, William and Therry Sts.

Vol 6: (2 vols), area bounded by King , Flinders, Spencer and Dudley Sts.

Vol 7: area bounded by Flinders, William, Lonsdale and Elizabeth Sts.

Vol 8: area bounded by Elizabeth, Little Collins, Lonsdale and Spring Sts.

A select bibliography of building journals is available in a subject file titled 'Building- Materials', which you can order at the Ask a Librarian desk or phone 8664 7002.

Several of these titles have been fully indexed on cards for the years 1888-1905. For questions related to the index, please contact us via Ask a Librarian. 

The library also holds a collection of local history files which contain ephemeral material such as newspaper articles, brochures and occasionally, auction brochures. You can find these using the local history index, which is held at the Information desk on the ground floor at the SLV, and by searching the online Australiana Index.

Trams to the racecourses, river, & zoo, H2007.115/11

You can browse broader subjects headings by entering the below terms into the Library catalogue

Architecture Victoria Melbourne

Melbourne (Vic.) Buildings structures etc

Dwellings Victoria

Information on buildings may also be found in local history publications.

Search the Library Catalogue by suburb name, and the keyword ‘history'.

For example:

Essendon Vic History

Moorabbin Vic History

Historic buildings of Victoria edited by David Saunders - includes the essays Building a state - Victoria, Architectural style, and Nineteenth century in Victoria

A manual of architectural history sources in Australia by David Saunders

Catalogue of city investment properties: shops, hotels, warehouses, stores, factories and land: including some of the most valuable positions in the city of Melbourne, also shop properties, city of Fitzroy contains many lot positions, dimensions and images of Melbourne inner city buildings.

This series of small books explores the buildings and architects of Melbourne. Each book deals with a particular theme, such as a place i.e, St Kilda, or a person, i.e. an architect.

The encyclopedia of Australian architecture, edited by Philip Goad and Julie Willis.
Port Melbourne, Vic.: Cambridge University Press 2012.

At over 700 pages and including 500 photographs and drawings, this book provides a comprehensive account of Australian architecture, from indigenous beginnings through colonial, modern and contemporary works.

The Library holds many resources on the State Bank homes, including books with designs and architectural drawings, which were built in Melbourne between 1920 and 1960.

 

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