Anne Owens, a member of the Heritage Subcommittee, has been out with her camera exploring the wonderful array of exterior decorative wall tiles which adorn our Glebe houses …

Anne writes:

There are many fine examples of vertical ceramic wall panels around the streets of Glebe, although many may be largely unnoticed, as referenced in Rob Darroch’s memoir of Les McMahon and his contributions to the preservation of the fabric of the suburb (Sept. issue of the Bulletin).

The panels, usually located between the front windows, are beautiful and reflect the Victorian love of decoration. The themes are varied, many quite ornate in the detailing of flora and fauna, as well as more stylised designs. Some of the designs look back to the Classical era; some embrace the sinuous Art Nouveau; and others the geometry of Art Deco.

Some of the locations where these can be viewed are at the end of Toxteth Road, near Maxwell Road; towards the northern end of Glebe Point Road (Nos. 310, 312, 397); Forsyth St, between Arden and Avon Lanes; Bridge Road, between Gottenham St and Talfourd St and a couple of houses in Boyce St (Nos. 21, 40).

It is very interesting to take a leisurely walk around the area and really experience the diversity of the neighbourhood, from this aspect.

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