Speculative Housing and the Individual: Diversifying the Australian Dream

摘要

Coming on seventy years ago my grandparents had a home constructed on what was then the outskirts of an Australian city. Supported by postwar subsidies for returned soldiers, this young working-class couple purchased plans for a contemporary home from a magazine and contracted a local builder. "A Boyd," as Irene was fond of noting. With some minor modifications in response to material availability and a good deal of weekend sweat equity on Harry's part, they constructed a weatherboard family home on a double block with a small orchard, vegetable patches, flowerbeds, a workshop and the inevitable private car. Irene and Harry moved with their three boys from a small cottage brimming with extended family to their "Australian Dream." Two more children arrived and the golden ash saplings dropped their leaves year after year, providing a climbing playground for the many future grandchildren. Harry and Irene had constructed a home that addressed their personal needs and preferences within their relatively limited financial capacity. Installation of fixtures and fittings was completed progressively. Their home was shaped and adapted over time, both internally and externally, and became the gathering place for five generations. I recall lending a hand to repaint the weatherboards and to wallpaper the living room.