The 2025 Serle Lecture – Ethics in the House Museum: The Challenges of Historical Collections by Dr Lousie Voll Box
September 22, 2024
Dr Voll Box’s lecture considered some of the many ethical issues considered by museum leaders, and highlights the constantly changing public expectations of what is considered ‘ethical’ and ‘appropriate’. How are these issues addressed by house museums? What are appropriate narratives in 2024? Case studies of fine and decorative art objects at The Johnston Collection were discussed.
The Haskin Fashion Dynasty
10-18 August, 2024
Tom McEvoy presented another highly successful salon exhibition and curated parade of the enduring fashion legacy of the Haskin family dynasty who were at the heart of Melbourne’s fashion and textile scene, catering to the discerning tastes of Australian women from the 1920s to the vibrant clubbing youth of the 90s.
Georges: Souvenirs From Collins
19-26 June, 2024
Opening its doors to Melbourne’s premier clash of contemporary design within classical walls of Villa Alba, MATTERS played host to some of Australia’s most notable and emerging designers, makers, and artists as part of Melbourne Design Week 2024.
Villa Alba hosted a retrospective mounted by Friends of Georges. Georges historian Justin Maclean and fashion anthropologist Tom McEvoy curated a wide-ranging display of fashions and accessories purveyed by the exculsive department store that was a fixture in Melbourne for over 100 years before it closed in 1995.
(MATTERS) AT VILLA ALBA – Presented by MATTERS
24-27 May, 2024
Opening its doors to Melbourne’s premier clash of contemporary design within classical walls of Villa Alba, MATTERS played host to some of Australia’s most notable and emerging designers, makers, and artists as part of Melbourne Design Week 2024.
Over 2000 visitors witnessed the Museum’s ornate chambers transformed into a prolific fusion of materials, concepts, and characters. The (SOME THINGS) group exhibition shed light on the creativity inherent in experimental design processes.
Marvellous Melbourne Mansions with Andrew Dixon
27 April, 2024
Andrew Dixon presented the history and features of three Melbourne’s marvellous mansions: Labassa (Caulfield North), Villa Alba (Kew) and Mandeville Hall (Toorak) are rare survivors of the late nineteenth century; each with their own architectural, aesthetic, historical and social significance to the history of Victoria and rich stories to tell.
He spoke of Labassa’s lavish interiors feature ornate stained glass, gilt-embossed wallcoverings, and a rare trompe l’oeil ceiling, Villa Alba’s unique, hand-painted interiors created in 1883/84 by Scottish-trained interior decorators the Paterson Bros, and the sumptuous décor of Mandeville Hall which was influenced by the Aesthetic movement and commissioned from important London firm Gillow and Co.
Charlotte Fifth Avenue Gowns & The House of Elegance II
9 & 10 March, 2024
Following on from the previous sold-out show, this exhibition featured more garments from Charlotte Fifth Avenue Gowns and The House of Elegance. Curated by fashion anthropologist Tom McEvoy, this interactive experience showcased the Darlington Swans who glided through the mansion dressed in select pieces from the archives.
Charlotte Fifth Avenue Gowns & The House of Elegance
2 March, 2024
Visitors to this sold out exhibition saw the world’s largest collection of garments from two of Australia’s greatest mid-century fashion houses — Charlotte Fifth Avenue Gowns and The House of Elegance — curated by fashion anthropologist Tom McEvoy
The 2023 Serle Lecture – History + Design + Art: the evolution of the house museum in Australia
10 September, 2023
Dr Alison Inglis AM gave an art historian’s perspective on the evolution of the house museum in Australia. Taking the pioneering publication by Terence Lane and Jessie Serle – Australians at home : a documentary history of Australian domestic interiors from 1788 to 1914 – as a starting point Alison examined the growing interest in historic houses and interiors during the twentieth century before considering the various reasons behind the rising number and diversity of Australian house museums over the last two decades.
Melbourne Design Week 2023
18 – 24 May, 2023
Futures Collective hosted four design initiatives illustrating transparency, collaboration and process in design today, in direct conversation with 2023’s MDW theme, ‘Design the world that you want’. These initiatives illustrated the impact of designing with transparency, collaboration, and process in mind. Co-participants were: Innate Collection, MATTERS, YSG x TAPPETI, Eco Outdoor, and Scott Livesey Galleries.
2023 Australian Heritage Festival – Fashion in the Age of Elegance
22 April – 7 May, 2023
The exhibition featured silken gowns worn for special events as well as examples of day dresses used for entertaining at home and when visiting. Exhibits were drawn from the Kew Historical Society’s Henty Collection, together with historic costumes donated by descendants of the Coombs and Weir families.
Glass@VillaAlba
7 – 23 October, 2022
Inspired by the historic 1880’s interiors, architecture and gardens of Villa Alba, this exhibition by GLAAS Inc showcased a wide range of contemporary glass produced by both emerging and established glass artists.
Photography: Mitchell Luo
The Pinschofs at home: ambassadors for the arts, culture and industry at Studley Park in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
18th September, 2022
Dr Andrew Montana presented a lecture in honour of Mrs Jessie Serle OAM. It showcased the Pinschofs’ properties “Belmont” and “Studley Hall” and their enterprises interpreted through photographs, paintings, and the printed word.
Winter Flower
18 & 19 June, 2022
Winter Flower 2022 showcased floral design, decorative arts, and creative makers with exhibitions inspired by Villa Alba’s beautiful interiors. Full details of the displays and their creators can be found in the Exhibition Guide. View selected works by the Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival on YouTube.
Photography: Mitchell Luo
Futures Collective
17 – 27 March, 2022
An avantgarde installation by Melbourne interior designer Fiona Lynch and Fiona Lyda of Spence & Lyda. Works by award winning local designers Jon Goulder, Broached Commissions, Fiona Lynch studios and the Authentic Design Alliance were juxaposed against Villa Alba’s exquisite restored and emerging original decorations.
Read more at Design Week and Broadsheet.
Photography: Tess Kelly
Flinders Quartet play Margaret Sutherland
March 2021
Music lovers were treated to a concert by the Flinders Quartet in the Vestible of Villa Alba. They enjoyed the opportunity to explore the mansion and the music of local Kew icon, and Australian musical matriarch, Margaret Sutherland.
MERGE – Mara Schwerdtfeger
November, 2020
Sound artist Mara Schwerdtfeger performed at the Museum. Her performance was part of a collaborative music and design initiative commissioned by MPavilion for Open House Melbourne and Melbourne Music Week.
Jonquils on the Wall
19 October – 1 November, 1995
An early exhibition at Villa Alba. Twenty of Melbourne’s leading florists presented themed displays, filling the villa’s rooms with flowers. Full details in the Exhibition Guide.
