Description
Discover the profound exploration of Australia’s domestic history in 'Comfort and Judgement'. This insightful book, published by Monash University Publishing in 2019, unravels the intricate blend of comfort and tradition within Australian interiors. Rooted in a deep fascination with the evolution of home environments, the author reflects on the significance of domestic spaces as safe havens against the challenges posed by the harsh Australian landscape. With an engaging narrative, the book guides readers through nineteenth-century advice manuals that illustrate the rich tapestry of Australian homes adorned with formal furniture suites, patterned carpets, and cherished ornaments. This exploration reveals how settler communities crafted their identities within these interiors, drawing solace and confidence from their domestic sanctuaries. Comfort and Judgement is essential for anyone interested in Australian culture, history, and the sociology of home. Ideal for historians, students, and design enthusiasts, this book emphasizes the pivotal role of women in shaping these comforting spaces. Immerse yourself in a journey through the evolution of comfort and identity in Australia, discover the true meaning of 'home', and understand why these spaces have been vital throughout Australian history. Please note that shipping for this item is free, but delivery may take up to 6 weeks from the order date, and all orders are final and not cancellable.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781925835489
Year: 2019
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Description:
'My journey to this book is the culmination of a long-held fascination with the history and currency of Australia's domestic interior. Having been born in a remote, desert-bound Queensland town, I have felt its power as a solace; a retreat from the extremities of the Australian environment. The interior provided a zone in which we were kept safe, but so too were our traditions, behaviours and belief systems. As I sifted through the pages of Australia's nineteenth-century advice manuals on the subject, featuring caverns of formal furniture suites, patterned carpet, velvet drapes, china cabinets, occasional tables, and collections of ornaments all awkwardly coalescing in spaces impregnated with the acrid waft of furniture polish, I was struck by the continuum of the interior and its purpose; as a refuge to induce both comfort and confidence.'
Since the earliest days of colonisation white Australians have protectively swaddled themselves in the domestic interior. Faced with a disconcerting and entirely alien environment, the replication of English interiors provided the colony's settler communities with the tether they sought to a guiding homeland and its comforting rules and practices. Though Australian identity is aligned, truthfully or otherwise, to the 'masculine' exterior: the bush, the outback and the beach, women were imperative to settler communities, and so too were the interiors they created. Comfort and Judgement provides a richer, deeper understanding of the Australian home than has been realised before.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781925835489
Year: 2019
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Description:
'My journey to this book is the culmination of a long-held fascination with the history and currency of Australia's domestic interior. Having been born in a remote, desert-bound Queensland town, I have felt its power as a solace; a retreat from the extremities of the Australian environment. The interior provided a zone in which we were kept safe, but so too were our traditions, behaviours and belief systems. As I sifted through the pages of Australia's nineteenth-century advice manuals on the subject, featuring caverns of formal furniture suites, patterned carpet, velvet drapes, china cabinets, occasional tables, and collections of ornaments all awkwardly coalescing in spaces impregnated with the acrid waft of furniture polish, I was struck by the continuum of the interior and its purpose; as a refuge to induce both comfort and confidence.'
Since the earliest days of colonisation white Australians have protectively swaddled themselves in the domestic interior. Faced with a disconcerting and entirely alien environment, the replication of English interiors provided the colony's settler communities with the tether they sought to a guiding homeland and its comforting rules and practices. Though Australian identity is aligned, truthfully or otherwise, to the 'masculine' exterior: the bush, the outback and the beach, women were imperative to settler communities, and so too were the interiors they created. Comfort and Judgement provides a richer, deeper understanding of the Australian home than has been realised before.