Experiencing a Technical Difficulty

Interior Design Education in Sydney 1945-65

Join Dr Catriona Quinn on a journey through Australia’s rich interior design heritage and a deep dive into the studios of design educators in Sydney in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

After World War II, Australian interior design education was shaped by a shifting social and economic landscape, and it was during this time the new profession of ‘interior designer’ emerged. Interior design’s association with craft, commercial and ‘feminine’ practices means it has often been overlooked or misrepresented in public discourse. In this lecture, Dr Catriona Quinn will present a history of interior design in Australia that emphasises the value of technical education and offers new insights into the issues faced by the profession today.

Focusing on rare mid-century student portfolios and archives held in the Caroline Simpson Library collections and the interior design program at the former East Sydney Technical College, Dr Quinn will examine the work of the college’s graduates and their impact on Australian interiors. Audiences will be able to view collection items mentioned within the talk in person from the Caroline Simpson Library after the lecture, in conversation with MHNSW Curator Michael Lech and audience Q&A.

Dr Quinn will also explore the role of the private design schools that helped to shape interior design education in Australia. The lecture will give an inside view of training in post–World War II Sydney, when progressive colour theory and modernist design theory were taught within the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme (1942–52), a significant federal economic program.

With her extensive knowledge of the subject and her background as a former curator at the Caroline Simpson Library, Dr Quinn will bring to life the stories of mid-century Australian interior decorators and educators and their contribution to our design history.

Program

6.30pm – 7pm | Lecture by Dr Catriona Quinn

7pm – 7.20pm | In conversation with Dr Michael Lech & audience Q&A

7.20pm – 8pm |Audience view collection items in the Caroline Simpson Library