History Week: The Federation House – Where it really Came From, by Mark Sabolch

The Ashfield and District Historical Society invites you to join us for this informative talk at the Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill.

Its sometimes said that the Federation period house is Australia’s own style. But is it really?

This illustrated talk will explore the origins of the Federation period house, so prevalent in the Ashfield district.

The house style that had been previously popular was the Victorian Italianate. However, by 1895 there were significant cultural changes that that promoted new ways of looking at the world, and the idea of Federation was only one of them. Mark’s talk will explore the cultural and social influences that drove an evolution in house style away from the Italianate style.

Who were some of the key people that shaped public opinion at this time?

Mark Sabolch is a long-standing member of the Ashfield and District Historical Society and author of the ‘Hawthorne Canal – the History of Long Cove Creek’ published in 2004. Recently Mark has been researching the origins of the architectural house styles prevalent in Sydney’s inner west.