This exhibition began life as a book 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture by Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts. Sampling from a book to produce an exhibition is a challenge to established curatorial method. The ideas that generated the book are set, the research done, so why reformat it as an exhibition?

The broad sweep of this book covers Canberra’s urban social history with stories of one hundred homes in just over two hundred pages. Examining a selection of these stories in an exhibition offers new insights and brings the book squarely into Canberra Museum and Gallery’s sphere of activity.

CMAG’s exhibitions are a means of exploring and communicating the Canberra region’s rich and diverse visual arts, social history, and sense of place and identity. Exhibitions will inform, challenge, inspire, entertain and stimulate curiosity.

— CMAG Exhibition Policy

The authors of the book, Messrs. Reeves and Roberts, have been ideal partners in this project. They initially helped select ten homes from their book and provided contact details for potential lenders of exhibition material. They also liaised with their publisher Halstead Press who provided images and text for the exhibition. Others to acknowledge in this project are Archives ACT, ACT Heritage Library, the contributors (listed opposite), Mary Virr who named the exhibition, CMAG colleagues, Claire Corcoran University of Canberra intern and Karin Hoskings, volunteer editor and fact-checker.

So central is housing to our lived experience that it provides a window onto many elements of national life, including law, public health, the economy, urban and regional development, Federalism, transportation, science, technology and aesthetics.

— 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture by Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts

Dale MiddlebySenior Curator of Social HistoryDecember 2015

• Curatorial Statement and Acknowledgments •

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Brema group

Sign, Currong Apartments C Block, ‘71’, H Tazewell nameplate, front door bell 1959

John and Louise Blue

‘Apprentice mistake’ by “’twasn’t me” 1994

Brochure, ‘How do you judge the property to buy?’ Canberra Times Real Estate, 14 July 1993

Fadden Hills suburb plan, photographs of block development

Letter from Shane Blue (Architect), dated 6 August 1991

Plans, elevations and sections Sunday Telegraph, 4 February 1996

Table, Stool (plan and invoice), designer/maker: Andrzey Kosmider 1994

Wooden blocks, bricks (Nowra Red), ‘Dolphin Striker’, Paver, 1994

Calthorpes’ House

Enamel cup, framed print, kettle, lantern, metal plate, packing case and lid, pot-belly stove c.1927 Single bed frame n.d.

CCJ Architects (Collard Clarke Jackson Canberra)

Photographs by Ben Wrigley, site plan, samples, 3D model of NNP Ranger’s home 2015

Community Services Directorate

Currong Flats building file #PC35/3/3

Federal Capital Commission Property and Tenancy Register 2012-02170

Environment and Planning Directorate

Plan Canberra Avenue Subdivision Division 111 c.1930

Toni Phillips

Doll’s house and furniture: bed and covers, chairs, table, couch, cupboard c.1930

Kerry Reed-Gilbert

Book ‘Aboriginal Sovereignty Justice The Law and Land’ by Kevin Gilbert 1987, Booklet ‘Aboriginal Tent Embassy 1972–2013’, Newspaper ‘National Indigenous Times’ 2012, Koori Flag n.d.

Noeleen Tazewell

Portrait of Harry Tazewell c.1958

Furniture made by Harry Tazewell: telephone table, coffee table, stool and table, carrier (fishing/picnic) c.1960

Gail Tregear

Framed painting ‘Port Philip Bay’ n.d. by Harry McClelland (1884–1954)

Lamp 1938

Table, designer/maker: Ray Riddell of Riddell and Marley (Melb)

Laurie and Mary Virr

Original plan of Rivendell, drawn by Laurie Virr October 1975

Occasional table, designed by Laurie Virr, made by Stan Barber c.1971

Arabia table ware 1970s

Set square and T-Square, latter made by Stan Barber 1980s

Chair, designed by Fred Ward made by Stan Barber 1980s

Cushion, embroidered by Mary Virr 1970

Outside lamp, designed by Laurie Virr late 1990s

• List of lenders and objects •

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Mon–Fri: 10am–5pm, Sat–Sun: 12pm–5pm Closed: Public Holidays

Cnr London Circuit & Civic Square Canberra City | 6207 3968

www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au

• image •

Rendering of Manuka cottages Type A Duplex, 1929 NAA: A2502, AB1276.

Courtesy of Halstead Press.

© 8 BIT PX 2015