“Melbourne Heritage Interiors goes beyond expectations. The culmination of extensive research, paired with anecdotes illustrated by archival and contemporary imagery and elaborate sketches, positions this publication as an encyclopedia rather than a coffee-table book. 

The book is organised by building type, including hospitality, clubs and societies, theatres, business, government, places of worship, and retail, from the late 1800s through the postwar era. Its curation is clear and thoughtful, and its language is easy to follow, which the jury recognises as a compelling characteristic that engages all readers, whether design-educated or not. 

Although the intention of this book is to collate and document Melbourne’s interior heritage, it is not ignorant of the sustainable and social values of architecture and interior design today. In their final chapter, the authors make it clear that “heritage is not limited to old buildings” and recognise the opportunities for Traditional Owners to help reveal and add to all layers of cultural heritage. The provocation to consider what future “heritage” could be is joyfully confronting. 

This is a professional yet entertaining publication, and perhaps one that all Victorian architecture studios should have in their libraries as a resource to refer to in case they have the opportunity to work on one of the many heritage interiors of marvellous Melbourne.”