From majestic carved chairs and handsome cedar desks in
Melbourne’s banks to grand bookcases in country mansions and
stately furniture still housed in Victoria’s Government House
today, Made to Order celebrates the furniture made by George
Thwaites and his sons.
For three decades following the discovery of gold, Melbourne gave rise
to gothic-revival style buildings, and foremost in furnishing these new
government and commercial buildings – and the homes of the well-heeled
– was the cabinet work of Geo. Thwaites & Son. This book illuminates the
lives of not only the owners but the artisans, whose contribution to the
fabric of colonial and Victorian society has been largely overlooked.
Made to Order provides a fascinating insight into colonial Melbourne and
features an extraordinary range of furniture that provides a testament to
the quality of the Thwaites’ workmanship.
