In 1950, The United States Education Foundation awarded the first
Fulbright scholarships to 6 post- graduate students, one from each
discipline (architecture, medicine, dentistry, science, arts,
engineering). We were awarded first class travel to a University in the
U.S. Next year 22 awards were granted tourist class travel. An American businessman living in Sydney, Mr. Hauslabe, was the
chairman of the Foundation and his step-son Bob Audette (who worked for
him) knew of my return to Sydney in 1952 and approached me with the
assurance that having been in Philadelphia for my studies I would
understand Colonial architecture. Contrarily, I presented them with the
model and these plans for their house in Castlecrag. They agreed to
build it provided the model passed proper sun orientation tests under
the CSRIO planetorium. It did and my private practice started then. Peter Muller.
This Sydney suburb is closely associated with Walter Burley Griffin and
his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, but there's also much to be seen that's
the work of other architects and builders. In August 2004, Society members were led by heritage architect
Roy Lumby on a 'Castlecrag after the Griffins' tour.
The group walked along part of Edinburgh Road as well as some
interesting back streets and discovered houses by architects such as
Eric Nicholls and Peter Muller; and firms like Allen, Jack & Cottier.
Eric Nicholls was an associate of Griffin's, and after Griffin's
death, went on to manage his practice under the name Griffin & Nicholls.
There are numerous fascinating buildings by Nicholls in the area.
If you visit Castlecrag, don't miss St. James' Anglican Church
with its relief mural by stonemason and sculptor Bim Hilder.
In the 1930s, Bim Hilder helped to construct The New Haven Scenic
Theatre as a community project. The theatre was resurrected and
redesigned in 1976, and you can visit its website (featuring a movie
made by the Griffins themselves in 1928).