Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemChange assessment in the post-war Mount Macedon landscape( 1986)Areas of scenic amenity close to urban centres, such as the Macedon Ranges and surrounds north-west of Melbourne, are increasingly exposed to land use conflicts. Residential developments and corresponding infrastructures oppose outdoor leisure activities of non-residents as well as the conservation of natural resources including water supply. As the trend of the demographic turnaround in rural areas is likely to continue, multiple land-use concepts necessarily have to adopt a fine balance between development and conservation based upon accurate information of space-time relationships. However, the fundamental understanding of change processes remains elusive. Studies dealing with landscape are static by using fragmentary descriptions. Systematic land-use reports are often confined to the single issue of land cover rather than placing the results into perspective of related environmental parameters. The base material for systematic monitoring of objects of spatial and temporal dimensions must be unbiassed and provide the consistency necessary for the defined area and periods. This leaves one reliable data source in the form of aerial photographs, which have a proven history of providing accurate, fast and inexpensive interpretation results over large areas. An arbitrary 25 ha-grid, which provides a common, cell basis for different data sets, is superimposed on the 282 km2 of the study area. The manual interpretation applies an overlay technique for assessing the quantitative and temporal manifestations of selected individual landscape artifacts (buildings, roads, dams and timber) on sequential aerial photographs of 1946, 1969, 1979 and 1985. The artifact developments are later regrouped, indexed and cross-tabulated with natural, social, economic and planning characteristics by statistical computer programs in order to evaluate change within the environment. The applied procedures provide significant insights into landscape change and they are potentially a flexible instrument for monitoring the effectiveness of planning decisions.
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ItemEnvironmentalism and land-use planning( 1985)This dissertation considers the research question: Can land-use planning attain the goals of environmentalism? The research question instigates the development of models for environmentalism and land-use planning, test of their congruence, analysis of institutional means to join them, case study of the specific method of lifestyle zoning for Nature conservation, international comparisons, and suggestions for the implementation of the ideology of environmentalism by the techniques of land-use planning. An applied planning orientation guides methods from political science, sociology, anthropology and geography to structure the theoretical and empirical studies. Comparison among the industrially advanced anglophone countries of Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States of America enable cross-cultural insight into environmentalism, land-use planning, and measures for the protection of dedicated areas. The evaluation of the fit between the environmentalism and land-use planning, considers their origins, values, operating principals, programs and problems. This social-policy analysis reveals substantial concurrence, particularly regarding concern for the unintended consequences of technical and social policies, human interaction with the physical environment, care in resource use, urban and Nature conservation, the importance of open space, rational forethought, the long-term, regional view, environmental diversity, government intervention, need for co-ordination in government, use of experts, citizen participation, self-actualization, equity, and generic as well as substantive definition of the fields by their supporters. The ideological outline of contemporary environmental planning provides a framework for detailed analysis of the case study of an "Environmental Living Zone" on the fringe of urban Melbourne, Australia. Historical research, interpretation of planning schemes, maps and aerial photographs, interviews, and observation provided insight into the social and environmental factors in residential conservation. From the empirical and theoretical analyses, the work suggests implications for practitioners- and directions for further research.
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ItemAlexander Hamilton: architect, Colac( 1969)This thesis is an attempt to record the life and work of Alexander Hamilton, 1825-19011, a Scottish mill-wright who migrated to the Colony of Victoria in 1852 and who, relatively late in life, became an architect/builder practising at Colac. The role of Hamilton in the history of the Western District settlement and expansion is important. His nationality, political and religious character ensured that he was to be entrusted with the design and erection of a great many of the Western District homesteads, public, ecclesiastical and other buildings, built in the district in the period 1873-1901. Little was known of his work until this year. The results of my research will at least provide a thorough background for more detailed research on specific buildings he designed. My thesis includes a short history of the settlement of the district; a biography of the life of Alexander Hamilton; a comprehensive list of all recorded work he undertook in the role of architect/builder/engineer; a detailed study of representative public, ecclesiastical, residential and utilitarian buildings erected under the supervision of Hamilton, followed by a critical summary. As illustration a general photographic survey and sketches of his work are included, together with copies and transcripts of some of his original documents. The very character and quality of his work demand further study. However, my thesis does attempt to provide a general survey and analysis of his career, further substantiated by specific details of architectural and engineering undertakings, but, the time available, the geographic location of his work and the fact that many of his important works are in isolated regions or since demolished, has meant that only a representative cross-section of his work could be surveyed and recorded.
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ItemTrinity College: the first twenty years of building( 1966)Trinity, as it stands today, betrays little evidence of achievement or the unique. The ‘old College’, a pleasant collection of buildings, retires quietly behind its elms and ivy. One of the buildings is perhaps the finest example of Tudor architecture in Melbourne, but another, designed by a man intimately conversant with Gothic and the architect of the first buildings at Sydney University, is most disappointing. The ‘Mid-Victorian’ Gothic Clarke building is hardly what one would have expected from Edmond Thomas Blacket. These buildings and their various styles are a testimony of the many architects involved, four of whom prepared plans for the entire college. No more than the first stage of each scheme was ever completed. Begun prematurely in order to secure a Crown Grant of the land, temporarily reserved from sale for the purpose of erecting a Church of England College, Trinity was the first of its kind in Melbourne. Had it not prospered, it is doubtful whether the other denominations would have followed so soon after in the building of their colleges. Some 16 years after the founding of Trinity and 6 years after Ormond, the Rev. W. H. Fitchett at the opening of Queen’s College said, "had they ( Trinity and Ormond ) failed, the Methodists' would not have dared to have begun this great enterprise." However, although Trinity prospered, it did so without the benefit of large gifts and endowments. Its debts, some incurred at the very beginning, were not cleared until 16 years later. Indeed, lack of financial support was its most constant foe. (Preface)
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ItemThe architectural profession in Melbourne 1835 to 1860( 1965)As the traveller of 1835 rounded the last bend in the Yarra to glimpse the little settlement at Melbourne, his thoughts could hardly have turned to the cities of his homeland. Yet within twenty five years, its original thirteen buildings were to be obliterated in a building expansion unprecedented in Colonial history. Within this period, over one hundred architects came to Melbourne, some to stay, others to remain only briefly. The lure of gold enticed some, others, despairing of success in the overcrowded English profession, came as squatters, as architects, as speculators, some were tradesmen, engineers, surveyors. From this diverse assemblage came the designs for the more important buildings of the city. (From introduction)
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ItemNorth Carlton and the Outer Circle Railway( 1966)The aim of this essay is to make a study of the Royal Park to Clifton Hill railway and to assess any influence the line had on North Carlton.
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ItemHousing rehabilitation: 2 areas in Carlton, case study( 1973-11)A concept of measuring ‘significant events’ was used to rate the progress of rehabilitation activity. The rehabilitation of a house was said to be by a series of separate decisions by individual owners to gradually or in one or two major stages improve the condition of the house. Each decision which raises the standard of the house was called a ‘significant event’. Typical events measured were new kitchen, internal bathroom, rewiring the house etc. All data recorded from the various authorities was related to these significant events. When the houses were inspected a score was given for each of the significant events and the rehabilitation rating determined by the total score for that property. To test the reliability of the Rehabilitation Indicators used in this study the results have been expressed as two separate percentages. In the first, the number of successful indications by each of the Rehabilitation Indicators is expressed as a percentage of the total number of houses in each Rehabilitation Rating. In the second, I have expressed the total number of houses correctly indicated by that Rehabilitation Indicator as either of full, partial or in progress Rehabilitation Rating as a percentage of the total number of houses indicated by that same data source. The most reliable Rehabilitation Indicator would be one that scores the highest in both of these two percentage calculations. The result of the study is that no one Rehabilitation Indicator is a reliable indicator of rehabilitation activity. Preliminary examination of a grouping of two or more Indicators has shown similar results. However, the complexity of analysing results for different groupings of Indicators has prevented any firm conclusions to be reached at this stage. For the two areas selected in Carlton, an analysis of rehabilitation activity has produced a few tentative conclusions. Area B in Carlton because of the continuous threat of Housing Commission acquisition during the 1960’s has a smaller percentage of houses rehabilitated. Canning Street in Area A has shown a fairly high rehabilitation activity with 24.2% of houses given a full Rehabilitation Rating and 15.2% given a partial Rehabilitation Rating while Sutton/Earl Streets in the same area shows a high 21% of houses in the process of being rehabilitated. This result is particularly interesting because Sutton/Earl Streets contain mostly small houses on small lots which in 1937 the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board had called ‘slum’ housing (See Section 3.02). There is no preference for particular property types. Larger houses were initially popular but at the time of the study a large number of smaller houses were in the process of being renovated. A trend which has not shown itself fully in the results is an increased number of ‘cosmetic’ renovations to tenanted houses. This usually involves painting the whole house out (white) with white or similar trendy exterior colour, fitting a H.W.S. and clearing up the backyard, perhaps demolishing a few sheds at the same time. These properties can then earn significantly higher rents to make the ‘cosmetic’ renovation very profitable to the owner. Other conclusions are shown in more detail in the Report.
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ItemTerrace house 174 - 182 Nicholson St, Fitzroy, Victoria( 1968)The aim of this thesis is to first capture the life and history of a block of Terrace House 174 - 182 Nicholson St, Fitzroy, Victoria, so as to form part of the record for future historians dealing with Terrace-Houses in Victoria. In relation to documenting the history of this block of Terrace-Houses, I have made it possible with the help of the Titles Office, Lands Department, Rates Office in Fitzroy Town Hall and the Melbourne Directory. My second intention is to discuss its significance physically in relation to its planning and style.
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ItemAn historical survey: undertakers and cemeteries in the Carlton area( 1967-09)Research for this thesis was made particularly difficult by the almost complete lack of authenticated information. Early Melbourne directories, themselves either incomplete or challengeable did give some indication to the names and number of early funeral directors - or undertakers, as they were known then. Facts, or statements as close to fact as possible, have had to be cross-referenced through a series of tape-recorded interviews. To add to research difficulty, a surprisingly large number of Funeral Directors refused to speak in any way, either historically or specifically, about their trade. Even those Directors who would speak freely admitted that all old records have been destroyed; particularly Sleight’s and J.D. Lewis, two of the oldest establishments close to Carlton. It has been found that few Undertakers had their headquarters (only branches) in Carlton, and in an attempt to gain their history in depth, Undertakers in the suburbs approximate to Carlton have been studied. (For complete synopsis open document)
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ItemMethodist church buildings in Victoria( 1968)My main aim here is to trace the developments of this building activity and where possible discern trends that may have relevance to church planning today.