Mid-century suburban

This ongoing series explores the mid-century architecture of Melbourne’s outer suburbs, often the homes of post-war migrants who moved to Australia and brought with them design influences from their Europe backgrounds. These homes, usually occupied by the original owners, are immaculately presented and represent not only the care of a generation who took immense pride in home ownership, but the opportunities afforded to those who made the decision to relocate half way around the world.

This project is very close to my heart. My grandfather, Zija Myslim Kaso, or Jack as he came to be known, was one of these migrants. As a sixteen-year-old muslim who didn’t speak English, he left his home in Albania to escape the newly founded communist regime and begin afresh in Australia. He would eventually marry and settle in Fawkner, and I have many great memories of my childhood playing cricket under the crab apple tree in the front yard of their modest brick home, blissfully unaware of the struggle in which it must have taken him to afford such a luxury.

With the ongoing gentrification of the Victorian capital’s outer suburbs, that were up until recently predominately occupied by working-class families, these houses are being slowly torn down in favour of multi-story subdivisions.

I would like to extend my series of images to beyond capturing these homes from the street, and begin photographing portraits of the residents inside their homes.