Stained Glass down Swanston Street
From the Leckie window at Melbourne University to the Leonard French ceiling at the National Gallery this walk+talk visits a wealth of historic gems often hidden in plain sight. Whether grand installations or tiny gjewels of light, all have stories that enliven Melbourne’s history and heritage.
Meeting at The Potter Museum in Carlton we have a chance to see Napier Waller’s superb Leckie window up close and hearing the background to its conception , making and conservation, before taking a tram to RMIT and walking the rest of the to the National Gallery.
Some of the highlights will include the State Library, Melbourne Town Hall, the Nicholas Building, St Paul’s Cathedral, and a recent addition to the NGVA along with other glass rarely seen. In the NGVI we will see Gothic stained glass from Europe as well as the Great Hall’s modernist ceiling that has become synonymous with the Gallery.
Tour leader, Dr Bronwyn Hughes OAM is a stained glass historian who will unpack the designs and tell some of the stories about donors, artists and makers of the windows that enhance and enliven Melbourne’s buildings.
Notes for participants will include other sites to be visited at leisure.