In July we wrote about the then-imminent sale of the Robin Boyd House II in South Yarra: the auction scheduled for 21 July was postponed when the Victorian Government, the Robin Boyd Foundation and the RAIA Victorian chapter set about finding a way to raise funds to pay the mortgage and deal with the Boyd Foundation’s debt to the National Trust. Those good intentions came to nought and the property was to be auctioned by agents Bennison Mackinnon on Saturday, 22 September at 1:00 PM.

However, at the eleventh hour the auction was postponed again as the State Government and Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) pledged enough money to keep it in public hands—for now.

The ARBV has contributed $460,000 and the State Government probably somewhere in the region of $2m to the Boyd House, but with a very important condition: within six months the Robin Boyd Foundation has to submit a business plan and find enough financial support to secure the long term financial viability of the house. It won’t be easy. Not only will the Foundation need to figure out how to make the house pay its way, significant remedial work is required. Friends who have visited the house recently tell me that it’s in a relatively poor state of repair—the draped catenary roof in particular will need considerable attention.

This situation – a significant real asset that’s been placed in respectful hands, but needing income streams and business-focused management to stay viable – is a common picture in Australia—Bundanon being another notable example. You can have all the well-meaning ‘friends’ in the world, but when outgoings far outstrip the takings from annual fundraising activities it rapidly becomes unsustainable.

Nevertheless, there’s some cause for optimism. As The Age reports, Victorian Planning Minister Justin Madden said:

This funding will assist the Robin Boyd Foundation in preserving this significant 20th-century building and maintaining the legacy of Robin Boyd, who made such a significant contribution to Australian architectural design.

— Victorian Planning Minister Justin Madden

It’s been pleasing to see some coverage of twentieth century heritage in the mainstream media lately.

ABC TV’s The Collectors aired a segment on 7 September about a restored apartment (or a flat, to use a period-correct term that’s gone right out of vogue) in the c. 1940 Sydney building Number Seven Elizabeth Street. The owner, who bought the property perhaps without knowing its history, was captivated by his purchase and set about restoring the apartment with all its original Marion Hall Best furniture and fittings. The result looks a little more like a museum exhibit than a liveable home (indeed, the flat was a star of the Historic Houses Trust of NSW’s recent ‘Homes in the sky: apartment living in Sydney’ exhibition at the Museum of Sydney), but there’s nothing wrong with that. No podcast, unfortunately.

Also last week, another impressive achievement in custodianship turned up in the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Essential’ supplement in the form of a two-page spread on the Boyd Baker House at Bacchus Marsh in Victoria. In fact, this property is something of a complex, featuring two homes designed by Robin Boyd and a library by Roy Grounds. The Baker family had maintained the buildings in original condition, and the new owner clearly values his purchase and is happy to share its delights with the public. The houses are open to visitors—see the website for more information.

‘Essential’ delivered the goods again this week with an article on Ken Woolley’s new designs for the reborn Pettit and Sevitt brand. At this stage just the New Lowline is available—an update of the classic single level format, now featuring a fourth bedroom and a garage, with various layout options available—but the architect is working on a New Split-Level design as well. He comments that the success of the project will depend on the availability of new land:

ideally, small releases that won’t attract big developers

— Ken Woolley

On 22 June, 2007 the Directors of the Robin Boyd Foundation announced their decision to sell the Robin Boyd House II in Walsh Street, South Yarra. The house will be auctioned on 21 July, 2007.

The house was designed and built by Robin Boyd in 1958 and since December 2004 has been owned by the Robin Boyd Foundation. The Foundation was an initiative of the National Trust in Victoria, established and operated in conjunction with Robin Boyd’s family. The house was recently awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects 25 Year Award and its heritage significance was recognised by inclusion of the house on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Sadly, the decision to sell the property has resulted from the Foundation being unable to attract major funding partners to support the rollout of various learning and activities programs and, importantly, to replace short term debt funding used to purchase the house in December 2004.

Over the past year, the Foundation has approached a wide range of companies, individuals and philanthropic organisations, as well as the State Government. In addition a media based expression of interest campaign was implemented. Despite these various initiatives, not enough financial support has been received to support the Foundation’s objectives.

It appears that the National Trust has to sell the house essentially because it has no money. It receives a paltry $246,000 a year from the Victorian State Government. Compare this to the $17.7m the NSW Historic Houses Trust receives from the NSW Government.

It would appear that the house will fall into private hands. Whether or not the Foundation continues with its learning activities and events programs would be dependent on the their ability to obtain acceptable access rights to the property with the new owner.

Few architects have made much noise since the decision was announced. However, there is one development that might give cause for optimism.

Earlier this year, in conjunction with the Robin Boyd Foundation, a network of owners of Robin Boyd-designed homes and interested parties was launched—the Boyd Homes Group (BHG). The head of the Boyd Homes Group, Nic Dowse, has also formed a save-the-Boyd-house weblog.

In Nic’s words:

We are people who give a damn about the loss of this house and the Robin Boyd Foundation. We believe there’s enough good will and commitment out there to save it for all Victorians.

— Nic Dowse

Let’s hope that through the efforts of people like Nic Dowse the Victorian State Government, the National Trust and the Robin Boyd Foundation Board can get together and secure one of Australia’s mid-twentieth century modernist masterpieces for the Victorian public.

Further reading:

• Auctioning off Boyd’s cultural legacy
• Victorians urged to act as house that Boyd made slips from public hands
• Boyd Homes Group
• Save the Boyd House II

12 Marawa Place, Aranda is a three bedroom house designed by Robin Boyd in 1968-69. Construction was completed in 1970-71. Aranda is characterised by its native landscape setting, being located near large tracts of native bushland at the Black Mountain and Aranda Bushland Canberra Nature Parks. The house has similarities to the late twentieth century Sydney and Adelaide regional styles of architecture.

Other examples of this style in Canberra include the Cater House, Red Hill (1965), by Allen, Jack and Cottier and the headquarters of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Red Hill (1967), by Ancher, Mortlock, Murray and Woolley. Although it demonstrates Boyd’s life long interest in modern architecture tempered by regional concerns, the house has few of the elements of his earlier work, which made Boyd a key practitioner of the post-War Melbourne regional style.

This is the last of a number of houses Boyd designed in Canberra and can be contrasted with his earlier Manning Clark house (1952); Fenner House (1953); Roche house in Bedford Street, Deakin (1954) and the W G Verge house at 204 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill (1963).

Significance

12 Marawa Place, Aranda is listed on the ACT Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture. It is regarded by the RAIA as being important because it is an example of significant architecture and is a valuable educational resource, having a strong association with Robin Boyd, one of Australia’s leading architects of the modern movement.

The house exhibits a number of the particular architectural elements of the late twentieth century Sydney and Adelaide regional styles and is a good example of how Robin Boyd considered the site context in his work and successfully combined regional content with international style. Externally, the face brickwork, large expanses of timber framed glazing, off form concrete beam to the front entry and large roof overhang are important to the house as a whole. Internally, the open planning with the main bedroom overlooking the living area below and interiors that open out into the landscape are important.

The Marawa Place house is featured in Robin Boyd’s book Living in Australia (1970). The house is also significant as being the last house designed by Boyd in Canberra prior to his premature death at the age of 52.

Description

12 Marawa Place is an elevated residence located at the end of a cul-de-sac backing a native bushland reserve, with views to the north and west. It is set back at an angle from the street in order to face north with an entry path and driveway angled across the front. Two garages are located at the lowest level, with a curved brick wall forming an entry path balustrade to the front door.

The north elevation features large areas of glazing which extend up to the underside of the gabled roof, horizontal panels of brickwork below the glazing and a vertical central brick panel above the off form concrete wall section above the front door. The house is planned around a central stair which links three levels and separates the children’s, parent’s and living areas.

Each of the areas is an approximate square and is slightly staggered, with the children’s wing set slightly to the north. The upper main bedroom level is one story above the dining area and kitchen and overlooks the living room below. The split levels and open plan nature of the house allow interior spaces to open out into the landscape.

Sources and further reading

• Royal Australian Institute of Architects RSTCA citation No. 126
• Short biography of Robin Boyd
• The late twentieth century Sydney regional style

This profile was prepared by Tim Reeves.

The house at 204 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill, was designed by Robin Boyd for Will Graves Verge in 1963 and completed in 1964. It is one of five that Boyd built in Canberra and was the first for the new firm, Romberg and Boyd, following the acrimonious departure of Roy Grounds from the original tripartite partnership. Romberg and Boyd continued in partnership until Boyd’s untimely death in 1971 at the age of 52.

In 1962, W G Verge had published a book on the work of the leading colonial architect, John Verge, of whom he was the grandson. Boyd was a devotee of early colonial architecture who regarded Verge’s Camden Park (1832-35) as Australia’s most eminent house and Elizabeth Bay House (1835-37) as a masterpiece. The latter’s oval saloon with its cantilevered staircase leading to a gallery capped by a domed ceiling with lantern-like windows was, Boyd said,

the most famous architectural detail in the country.

— Robin Boyd

So he gave W G Verge a modern link to his forebear by designing an octagonal double storey entry hall with central staircase leading to a gallery which connected to all main rooms, topped by an octagonal skylight which flooded the area with light.

Apart from J R Conner’s A Guide to Canberra Buildings, there appears to be no mention of the house in any reference book (including Boyd’s 1970 residential portfolio, Living in Australia). The house was sold in early 2007 and the new owner plans eventually to restore it.

Description

The three-bedroom plus study, two-bathroom house is of grey-brown Besser brick construction with internal limed timber walls and timber floors. Entry is through the ground-level double carports that form an enclosed, heavily shaded portico. The main stairway is positioned obliquely to the front door so as to rise toward the east corner of the main living level of the house.

All rooms are arranged around the two-storey, octagonal central atrium and main stair landing. The dining room, music room and sitting room (which includes an interlocking brick fireplace) are located on the eastern and southern side of the house, enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the interior and exterior. The bedrooms at the rear quarters are linked by the same central landing.

The octagonal concept, essentially a square with the edges snipped off, is carried through to the exterior with eight pillars of crenellated concrete block providing the main supports. The house is flanked by wide timber-lined eaves which are shaved back at the four corner pillars.

The house is open both to the exterior and, through the glass interior walls, to itself. Good views from the house to Parliament House and the city are available from the living rooms and kitchen, although now partially obscured by trees and neighbouring houses.

The house presents in near original condition. There have been no substantial renovations, alterations or additions since it was first occupied.

Sources and further reading

• Geoffrey Serle, Robin Boyd: A Life, MUP, 1995
• Will Graves Verge, John Verge, early Australian architect: His ledger & his clients, Wentworth, 1962
• Verge House website, developed and maintained by the current owner
• Short biography of Robin Boyd
• Biography of John Verge at the ADB website