The Federation style of architecture emerged in Australia during the late 19th and early 20th century, as architects sought to create a distinctive Australian style. This style was heavily influenced by British architect Richard Norman Shaw’s Queen Anne style and the American Romanesque, also known as the Shingle Style. Australian architects also incorporated elements from the Arts and Crafts Movement, as well as the vernacular style of the Australian homestead. The Federation style became popular for suburban housing in Melbourne, with its salient features including an asymmetrical plan, a picturesque roof-line with tall chimneys, red brick and French Marseilles terracotta tiles for the roof, projecting bays with casement sash windows, and turned or fretted woodwork on the veranda. The style was named Federation style in 1969 by Australian art historian Bernard Smith, as it emerged during the period of discussions about the nature of an Australian style that paralleled the political discussion that led to the foundation of the Commonwealth.
Henry Hardie Kemp, born in Broughton, England in 1859, was an architect who migrated to Melbourne in 1886. He became a partner in the firm Oakden, Addison & Kemp in 1887 and specialized in domestic work. In 1899, Kemp entered into a partnership with Beverley Ussher, and their houses became an epitome of the Federation style characterizing Melbourne. After Ussher’s death in 1908, Kemp continued to practice as an architect until his retirement in 1929, and passed away in Kew, Melbourne in 1946.
Posted by Patricio Parragué on 2022-11-13 04:16:29