Inverell’s gridded roads, civic buildings and main street verandahs tell a deep story of how country towns form and thrive, according to architect and author David Holm.
In his new book ‘Drawing the City’, Holm argues that cities succeed when people are at the forefront of their design. He says it’s often the spaces on the street and between buildings that drive this prosperity.
“What’s interesting about Inverell and indeed a number of Australian towns is that because they came about in the mid-1800s, their key buildings were often of a very grand scale,” Holm said.
“Buildings such as the courthouse and post office in Inverell are very important and they still stand. They’re amazing buildings. If you look at the quality across Australia of the two-storey building stock, there was great optimism in the late 1800s and early 1900s.”
During that period towns like Inverell were set up along rivers, which became the lifeblood of the community. Farming and mining followed, and the towns quickly saw economic and cultural growth.
As such, there was a fair amount of optimism to start a family and create a home in regional towns. This positivity also sparked a great sense of entrepreneurship which is reflected in regional architecture, according to Holm.
Through his drawings, many of which are featured in the book, Holm explores the link between public space and cultural connection. The idea of the street as a gathering place is central to this.
“The street is quite egalitarian in many senses. It’s very much a place where everybody gets a fair share,” Holm said. “It doesn’t matter whether you have the best property or not, your ownership of the street is all about public life and place.”
“It’s also where we go to celebrate – commemorations like Anzac Day in Australia are all carried out on those key streets. So it’s that public life that we still celebrate in those urban situations.”
It’s therefore no accident that New England towns such as Inverell, Armidale and Uralla have many similarities in their layout. Consider their main streets, low-rise buildings and double storey landmarks such as hotels and post offices.
Even their courthouses are alike, built with a sense of Victorian grandeur that include tall entrances, arches, columns and ornate windows.
These buildings have been preserved in many instances, ironically helped by slower economic development in recent times, says Holm.
“Often what happens is the built form stays as it is, waiting for the next generation to come through and reinvent it,” he said.
“There’s actually a bit of a reinvention that’s happening across regional Australia now. For example, the discovery of art programs and the use of libraries is giving back a stronger sense of community throughout a lot of regional community towns.”
Holm has visited and drawn more than 500 urban spaces over the past forty years.
His illustrations show the variety, scale and use of spaces within the city, from Melbourne to Venice to country NSW.
Drawing the City is published by Ventura Press and is now available.
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