A 19th-century engraving of an indigenous Australian encampment,

The first architects

‘Gunyah, Goondie and Wurley’ by Paul Memmott, on Indigenous Australian architecture

For someone who has spent most of his career fusing what might be called the sharpish end of digital technology to other things, I’ve paradoxically retained an interest in vernacular architecture and design, which often deploys ancient solutions, refined by age, use and experience. (Ed: Not actually a paradox.)

Walter Roth: Studies of Aboriginal ethnoarchitectural forms, Queensland, 1897. Via Wikipedia.

Here in Australia, a relatively new country if an ancient inhabited continent, there are rich vernacular pickings amidst complex histories. Of particular interest are the Queenslander houses seen in Brisbane but also the various architectural strategies and solutions employed by indigenous Australians. This is interesting in part due to the nomadic lifestyle of some indigenous Australians, and therefore related to other transient, portable architecture I’m interested in, and partly due to the inherently ingenious solutions to Australia’s climate and terrain.

Example of Mer Island (or Murray Island) architecture (Torres Strait Islands). Round form covered with dried banana leaves with sleeping platforms placed inside. Lithograph with hand colouring by Melville, c. 1849. Via Wikipedia.