Joy Haig
Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Architectural History
Biography
Since managing the National Trust (Victoria) property Como House, South Yarra in the late 1990's, Joy has maintained a strong interest in the cultural and heritage sector. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Planning and Design and a Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage, having gained the Richard Falkinger Scholarship in 2018 and Dean Honours Award in 2017, both awarded by the University of Melbourne. Passionate about Australia's heritage and architectural history, Joy's desire is to encourage discourse on the consumer facing architectural writing of the early 20th century.
Thesis
The contribution of Australian women journalists to public discourse on architecture and the built environment between 1890-1939
This thesis explores two successful Australian women journalists who wrote on the built environment for consumer periodicals. Analysing their writing, and critically examining how women contributed to public discussion on architecture and the built environment at a time of significant growth in the newspaper and magazine sector from the late 19th century through to the start of World War II.
As leaders in their field, Mary Salmon (1853-1937) and Nora Cooper (1889-1954), each penning hundreds of articles and with careers spanning over 30 years, are representative of women who wrote in consumer publications during this time. Australian Architectural history has subsequently ignored both Salmon and Cooper.
By collectively reviewing the articles of these women and providing further context through analysis of other female journalists and periodicals from the late 19th to the early 20th century in Australia and internationally this thesis provides a fuller understanding of the chancing discourse in Australian architecture.