Starting with one of the earlier ones I have, as you can see early editions of this magazine are worth finding for the covers alone. Color printing at this time for this type of magazine was reserved for both sides of the front and back covers. The first issue of this magazine appeared in 1925 so this is one of the earliest. It doesn't have a large number of adverts but is full of house designs and floor plans.
The Spanish-influenced home design was a fashionable alternative to the Californian Bungalow here in the 20's and 30's and examples still survive in the older suburbs. Makes me wonder if any of the ones featured in this magazine still exist.
The following article is particularly interesting as it demonstrates how to modernize a Victorian house by creating a flat verandah and removing the cast-iron lacework among other things. Even the finial at the peak of the roof appears to have been removed.
Revisiting this magazine as a more educated person, I noticed the mention of Edna Walling as designer of the garden in the above article. Edna Walling was an influential Australian landscape designer who was ahead of her time. As well as writing books and articles for this magazine, she was also a photographer, house designer/builder and conservationist. Her's is a fascinating story of a strong-willed woman who defied convention. People like this interest me because although they're considered eccentric by most people, they succeed despite the odds. ABC's Gardening Australia ran a story on her and have a web page dedicated to her here: http://www.abc.net.au/walling/
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