Boyd discusses Graeme Gunn's Plumbers & Gasfitters Employees Union Building; indicates it is unusual for Australian trade unions to be a patron of the arts; discusses the angular design and its raw concrete, which Boyd praises as internationally fashionable; suggests that the last great piece of union-commissioned architecture was the Wharf Labourers' Union building, a 1916 Art Nouveau building by Robert Haddon.Original manuscript of an article published in "The Sunday Australian", 06.06.1971 (Review of Graeme Gunn’s Plumbers and Gas Fitters Building, Victoria Parade, Carlton).Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 7 pagestrade unions, plumbers and gasfitters employees union of australia, graeme gunn, brutalism, concrete, robert haddon, wharf labourers' union building, flinders st, robin boyd, manuscript

Makes comparisons between Australian cities and American and European cities. Melbourne and Sydney are heading in the same direction as Los Angeles. A possible future the city containing entertainment and culture, with the suburbs having open space and gardens but with access to city life.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 3 pagescity, cities, suburbs, melbourne, sydney, american cities, european cities, urban planners, robin boyd, manuscript

Overview of residential architectural styles from 1925 to 1965 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Home Beautiful" magazine. Discussions include the future of housing technology, Californian Bungalow design and the future of the 'modern house'.Original manuscript of 'Is our frozen house design about to thaw', published in Australian Home Beautiful, Vol, 44, No. 10, October 1965, pp. 4-11.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 23 pages. (Two copies)home beautiful, queen anne, californian bungalow, charles greenhill, walter burley griffin, harold desbrowe-annear, home beautiful, modernism, robin boyd, manuscript

A summary of the tension and treatment between those who support or are against the Sydney Opera House. Names of international architects who were in support of Utzon were mentioned. Highlights the 'tall poppy syndrome' among the conservative architects and politicians, as well as accusations towards RAIA for not supporting Utzon.Typewritten, pencil edits, foolscap, 2 pagesPencil editsjorn utzon, sydney opera house, sydney opera house project, paul rudolph, sigfried giedion, louis kahn, raia, neville gruzman, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd quickly surveys the first generation of modern architecture. The talk then concentrates on where modern architecture turned next: "the search for new richness on the surface and a search for new excitement in form". Boyd focuses on the second generation of modern architects: Edward Stone (surface search) and Eero Saarinen (excitiement search). Several of their influential buildings are critiqued by Boyd. This document includes the whole of the typed manuscript titled "The Crisis in Architecture" (item D522, with edits), and includes two handwritten pages at the start and ends with a handwritten statement about "architectural poetry". The text and annotations indicate this was a lecture with slides.Typewritten and handwritten sections, an amalgamation of documents, quarto, 18 pagesUnderlinings, pencil additions, indications for slidesinternational style, mies van der rohe, frank lloyd wright, edward stone, eero saarinen, le courbuier, felix candela, matthew novicki, eduardo catalano, hugh stubbins, raymond and rado, jorn utzon, toro-ferrer

Describes Canberra as a city that has minimal architectural character, as it is mainly characterised by its natural landscape and roadways. The new phase in Canberra refers to several civic projects that will serve to define Canberra as a national capital.Original manuscript of the article 'A New Phase for Canberra' published in Sunday Australian, 05.09.1971.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 9 pagescanberra, urban planning, walter burley griffin, capital circle, capital hill, campbell park, australian architecture, harry seidler, robin boyd, manuscript, national capital

Boyd discusses exemplar cases of historical preservation, and many lost opportunities. The task of preserving Australia's historic relics is left to volunteers and amateurs, with notable exception of Nunawading, unlike almost every other countries In other countries, the Government recognises its responsibility and Boyd presents examples. He suggests a model that Australia could follow.Original manuscript of an article published in "The Australian", 23.10.1965Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 9 pagesst matthew's church, francis greenway, robe, ormerod cottages, robe customs house, avoca lodge, andrew hayward newell, preservation, conservation, robin boyd, manuscript

Has a strong association with the author who was interested in public transport and chose to write an economic history essay about the close of the Ballarat Tramway system and its substitution by buses and whether they should be government operated.Fifteen, lined or ruled foolscap page manuscript / Essay for a Melbourne University Economic History subject, 1972, written Kevin Tierney about the abandonment of the Ballarat Tramway System. Has a Synopsis, references and quotations from various sources. The question to be answered was "Should the electric tramways at present operated by the State Electricity Commission in the provincial centre of Ballarat be abandoned and if so, should public ownership be retained for the replacement system?" A photocopy on A4 paper was also donated by the author. Also donated two postcards with trams - Bendigo - line up of five Birney trams and H class 357 and 358 in Jetty Road Glenelg - see image files, providing information about the essay and contacts.trams, tramways, closure, ballarat, sec, buses

Discusses the quality of the architecture of the Sydney Opera House, its use as a concert hall, design by Jorn Utzon and continuation by Peter Hall.Typewritten, quarto, (carbon copy), 10 pages. A second copy has pencil edits and additions. (Two copies)sydney opera house, jorn utzon, peter hall, william davis hughes, exterior shells, concert hall, pier luigi nervi, buckminster fuller, eero saarinen, nikolaus pevsner, robin boyd, manuscript

Discusses Australia Square in Sydney; its plan, structure, materials and artworks (tapestries and sculptures by Le Corbusier, Vasarely and Calder).Original manuscript of an article published as 'Australia Square: Circle in the Square' in "Architectural Forum", Vol. 130, No.3, April 1969, pp.26 - 35.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 4 pagesaustralia square, sydney, harry seidler, plaza, pier luigi nervi, tapestry, sculpture, le corbusier, vasarely, calder, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd discusses the role of Sydney and its Strategic Plan. He touches on floor space ratio but focuses on the goal of enticing residents to return to the inner city as the real challenge of the plan.Original manuscript of the article ‘Sydney’s Sneaky Strategic Plan’, published in The Sunday Australian, 15.8.1971.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 11 pagesThe last page is a redraft of the third last page.sydney, strategic plan for sydney, urbanisation, decentralisation, city, suburbs, master plan, harry seidler, floor space ratio, inner city residential, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd outlines the history of Canberra's design and construction. He argues that Canberra's strength is its planning and axially-based landscaping, but that it lacks the buildings which make the Le Corbusier's Chandigarh interesting. Boyd is highly critical of Chandigarh as an urban environment and concludes that for non-architects, planning and connection to nature is more important than buildings.Original manuscript published as 'Canberra Master Plan: Walter Burley Griffin' in World Architecture 4, John Donat (ed.), Viking Press 1967, pp 202-205.Typewritten (p/copy), quarto, 6 pageswalter burley griffin, canberra, john overall, lake burley griffin, oscar niemeyer, le corbusier, chandigarh, city beautiful, garden city, urban planning, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd explores the evolution of Australia's architecture and the constant search for an 'Australian' style of architecture. Influences includes the isolation of Australia, natural resources that would require experimentation in order to make it buildable, and most importantly the imports and exports of foreign material that increased the building boom. Comparisons of Australian's architecture landscape to USA and Sweden in his commentary aims to reflect Australia's dilemma to search for an architectural identity.Original manuscript published as 'Architecture in Australia’ in Texas Quarterly Vol. 5, No 2, Summer 1962, pp 61-76.Typewritten (p/copy), quarto, 11 (+title page) pagesrobert haddon, harold desbrowe annear, 'antipodean isolation', sweden, california, housing, australian architecture, natural resources, building boom, american architecture, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd comments on Australian life and culture in the first half of the twentieth century up until 1959. He reflects on changes - is it progress? - from the pastoral to the industrial, briefly on housing and construction, and emphasises US influences in design (especially cars) and politics, and the lingering, conservative influence of the UK. Robin Boyd wrote this article anonymously. He was a member of the 'Round Table', a English based group on imperial and commonwealth matters.Original manuscript of an article published in The Round Table, "The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs", Vol 50, Issue 159, pp 26-31, 1959.Typewritten, quarto, 6 pagesAnnotations and corrections in pencilaustralian identity, taste, automobile design, they're a weird mob, nino culotta, 1959 australia, cyril pearl, on the beach, so you want to be an australian, sidney nolan, john ely burchard, robin boyd, manuscript

Discussion of Architectural professional techniques (organisation of the profession, from the societies, registration etc and the growth in the profession, office practices) public and private practices (eg Commonwealth Department of Works,), research and regulations (eg building research, CSIRO), and theory and practice (the vernacular, the professional and the creative).Original manuscript of an article published as 'Architecture in Australia’ in RIBA Journal, Vol.78, No.1, January 1971, pp.11-20.Typewritten (p/copy), quarto, 22 pagesaustralian architecture, royal australian institute of architects, the architecture profession, package dealing, australian architecture students association, public and private practice, commonwealth department of works, building research, csiro, building regulations, john andrews, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd reviews Mitchell Gordon's Sick Cities. He opens with a scathing description of American urbanism: the skyscraper and the automobile in a fight to the death, and a culture unwilling to engage with a discussion of urbanism. Boyd presents Gordon's book as a non-technical and non-partisan contribution to the new field of American urbanism, focussed on the functional problems (sprawl, traffic, squatting, air pollution) rather than visual ugliness. He commends Gordon's book as 'good, meaty [and] helpful' to city administrators and city lovers everywhere.Book Review (Mitchell Gordon)Typewritten, quarto, 3 pagesScribbled out sections on pages 1, 2 and 3; addition of notes in pages 2 and 3.mitchell gordon, sick cities, urban planning, thomas jefferson, john f. kennedy, the american way, racial segregation, suburban sprawl, air pollution, urbanism, traffic, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd proposes to apply art criticism techniques to architecture; claims architectural criticism in Australia is "all but dead" because of the 'schizophrenic nature of architecture" (i.e. building a socio-economic object as well as art). Boyd compares Kevin Borland's design of The Legend restaurant (Lonsdale St) with a recently designed residential apartment block (15 Collins St); claims that both are schizophrenic but The Legend is masterfully so whereas the apartments are aesthetically lacking.Original manuscript of an article published as ‘The schizophrenic style’ in "The Sunday Australian", 14.3.1971Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 11 pagesTop of page 1 handwritten where and when published. The last page credits photographer Mark Strizic, so images may have been attached.architectural criticism, art criticism, melbourne architecture, the legend restaurant, lonsdale st, leonard french, legend milk bar, tivoli theatre, clement meadmore, kevin borland, colonial architecture, 15 collins st, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd discusses the achievement of Moshe Safdie in the design and dream of Habitat 67. He outlines the history, philosophy and sociological objective of cluster housing.Original manuscript published as 'Experimenting with boxes: Habitat's cluster' in Architectural Forum Vol.126, No.4, May 1967 pp. 35-41.Typewritten (p/copy), quarto, 9 pageshabitat 67, moshe safdie, expo 67, le corbusier, urbanism, unite d'habitation, reyner banham, alison and peter smithson, kenzo tange, clusters, russian apartments, cluster housing, robin boyd, manuscript

A review of the two books 'The New Architecture and the Bauhaus' by Walter Gropius and 'Garden Cities of Tomorrow' by Ebenezer Howard, on the occasion of their reissue as paperbacks.Original manuscript published as "Ahead of the trend" in the 'The Australian' on 05.06.1965.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 5 pagesadelaide, bauhaus, canberra, deutscher werkbund exhibition, elizabeth, garden cities, walter gropius, ebenezer howard, letchworth, lewis mumford, welwyn, yallourn, robin boyd, manuscript

Discusses the influence of background, temperament and creativity on an architect as well as the three phases in the development of architecture in 20th century and the theme of space. A long critique on the issue of the sails of the Sydney Opera House. The question of art versus technology in the future of architecture is argued. (Is this related to D020)This is an untitled speech, annotated with numbers indicating markers for slides, "Lights".Typewritten (carbon copy), with major pencil edits, quarto, 21 pages. Starts on page 2.On page 2, the title 'The Phases of Modern Architecture' is crossed out.creativity, functionalism, ornament, romanticism, fragmentation, space, computer, beauty, sydney opera house, sigfried giedion, jorn utzon, ove arup, super-functionalism, robin boyd, manuscript

This text summarises the differences in architecture and proposes, unlike in other art forms, that architecture has a mainstream which has consistency in it, yet is also ever changing. The term 'modern architecture' is becoming suspect and obsolete. Visual art is inevitably involved with social evolution. It discusses utilitarian and creative architecture. Boyd proposes architecture is between science and art, and that architecture by itself means the architecture of this age.Typewritten, quarto, 11 pages (Note: Mentions the 1960s, possibly implying it was written late 1960s-1970/1971)modern architecture, social evolution, utilitarian architecture, creative architecture, mcluhan era, glutternberg era, henry russell hitchcock, paul rudolph, philip johnson, kenzo tange, archigram, sydney opera house, reston, robin boyd, manuscript

Book review of "Kenzo Tange, 1946-1969. Architecture and Urban Design", edited by Udo Kultermann, Praeger Publishers, 304 pp $29.50. Boyd praises Tange's unapologetic adherence to modernism and his adaptation of le Corbusier's ideas to tradition. He appraises the book's merits and problems (explanatory and not analytical writing, building omissions).Architectural Forum, Vol. 135, No.3, October 1971, p8. Book review by Robin Boyd of 'Kenzo Tange, 1946 - 1969, Architecture and Urban Design', edited by Udo Kultermann, Praeger Publishers,Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 3 pageskenzo tange, japanese architecture, modern movement, le corbusier, creative realism, expo, skoplje, yugoslavia, hiroshima, children's library at hiroshima, shizuoka olympic arena, tokyo, nichinan, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd argues that there is little that is truly avant-garde or revolutionary in architecture. Boyd defintes 'antiarchitecture' as architecture which rejects aestheticism, an approach explored by constructivists, Archigram and Venturi. Boyd indicates that he suspects that architecture can never fully escape aestheticism.Original manuscript of the article published in The Architectural Forum, Vol. 129, No. 4, November 1968, pp. 84-86.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 6 pagesAnnotation on p2radicalism, venturi, archigram, reyner banham, buckminster fuller, new brutalists, constructivism, john m johansen, paul rudolph, charles moore, japanese metabolism, george nelson, aestheticism, robin boyd, manuscript

Discussion of the history of the 'glass box', i.e. the glazed curtain wall skyscraper and its appearance and demise in Australia. Also discusses the phenomenon of multi-storey car parks, and RMIT student designs for Victoria Market.Published as "Death notice: The End of the Glass Box/Birth Notice: A New 3-D Style for a City" in 'The Australian' on 13/11/1965.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 8 pagesaustralia square, bates, smart & mccutcheon, john a la gerche, walter gropius, ici house, mcconnel, smith and johnson, harry seidler, sydney opera house, un secretariat, bogle and banfield, peter mcintyre, robin boyd, manuscript

Discusses future cities and speculates on future trends. Looks back at ideas on the future of housing held by Boyd and his contemporaries in the 1950s and discusses how the reality of housing in the 1970s differs.Typewritten, quarto, 9 pagesfuture cities, apartments, suburban sprawl, modern houses, australian families, prefabrication, density, tensile construction, habitat 67, caravans, fred hoyle, tange, habitat 67, moomba, robin boyd, manuscript

Speech addresses urban planning, points to Canada and New Zealand as possible exemplars, prophetic predictions for the future (2017) like Archigram and the 'electronic era of the anti-city'; Boyd advocates strongly for high density.Speech for the Australian Planning Institute Jubilee ConferenceTypewritten, quarto, 25 pagesExtra handwritten notessydney, monorails, town planning, australia square, perth, melbourne, bernard evans, canada, new zealand, toronto, montreal, expo 67, archigram, los angeles, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd discusses Australia and New Zealand's search for their own 'modern' architectural style. Boyd points out the influence of the natural landscape that affects these designs and architectural decisions. In addition, he argues that the search for 'modern' architecture isn't rushed due to the need of respecting the natural landscape of both Australia and New ZealandOriginal manuscript of an article 'Australia in seclusion’ published in Journal of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Vol. 34, September 1967, pp.270-275.Typewritten (c copy), foolscap, 21 pages (two copies of page 9)walter burley griffin, harold desbrowe annear, robert haddon, seabrook and fildes, roy grounds, geoffrey mewton, edward f. billson, best overent (overend), modern architecture, sydney opera house, ian mckay's c/b/ alexander presbyterian agriculture college, ernest kump, sydney school, california, robin boyd, manuscript

A discussion of Australia's bland suburbs, and the rise in brick home-building, and the alternative of urban high-rise living. Alternative leisure lifestyles associated with each are outlined. Multi-storey flats, European migration, the unplanned ghettoisation of different groups are discussed. What are the needs for a new era of Australian housing? New initiatives are outlined.Original manuscript of the chapter titled 'The Neighbourhood' (pp32-43) by Robin Boyd in the book "Living and Partly Living", by Ian McKay, Robin Boyd, Hugh Stretton and John Mant, published by Nelson, Sydney 1971.Typewritten (c copy), pencil, quarto, 29 pagesChapter in a book.neighbourhood, neighborhood, suburbia, planning, conformity, brick home, timber home, flathouses, housing commission, european immigration, swinger hill, ian mackay, merchant builders, landscaping, robin boyd, manuscript

Boyd argues that the Australian cultural split between what he perceives to be cultured tastes and artistic achievements and the tastes of ordinary Australians is wider and more polarised than in other countries. He derides commercial radio, popular women's magazines, public commercial streets etc - elements of the Australian ugliness. He praises the growth of local contemporary art, literary magazines and architecture, whilst calling for the development of community pride amongst leaders of commerce and industry, and government control of the ugliness of popular culture. This may have been published in "Walkabout" magazine.Typewritten (c copy), quarto, 11 pagesart, egalitarianism, sidney nolan, australian painting, pop art, phil may, dyson, low, media, cartoons, australian literature, radio, california cultural heritage board, commercial advertising, robin boyd, manuscript

A critique of the adaption of American culture in Australian popular culture, where only the worst or silliest things from the US are adopted. Boyd suggests the colonial, unambitious and rigid brand of masculinity that characterises the "Aussie myth" hinders the development of an imaginative and creative social climate that manifests in a superficial appropriation of American culture. Boyd is not critical of US culture itself, in fact he has a great appreciation of US culture. He suggests that the Australian brand of Americanisation is only a superficial commercial exploitation of the American dream. It concludes with Boyd rallying for the development of a unique Australian originality with increasing connections to Asia.Typewritten, pencil edits (pages 22a and 22b added after page 22), quarto, 24 pagesamericanisation, american culture, australian culture, masculinity, cultural myths, australian values, social attitudes, ussr, asia, california, sidney nolan, alan moorehead, patrick white, donald horne, john anderson, robin boyd, manuscript