The federation house – What it really represents

Talk by Mark Sabolch about the federation style of house – its origins, characteristics and significance.

Federation period houses are significant for their historical and cultural importance, with many protected by heritage listings. They serve as forms of living history.

2026 is the 125th anniversary of Federation, and a fitting time to pay tribute to the federation style of house that arose across Australia from 1895 to 1915 and the optimism it represented in 1901 for the new nation.

This illustrated talk will explore the origins of the federation period house in Sydney and show its evolutionary path from the previously popular Victorian Italianate style.

Australian culture, how it evolved over the nineteenth century, and how it became manifest in the Australian federation house will also be explored.

Mark Sabolch is a member of the Ashfield and District Historical Society and author of the Hawthorne Canal – the History of Long Cove Creek. Recently Mark has been researching the origins of the architectural house styles prevalent in Sydney’s inner west.

Visitor information

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