It appears that not everyone loves palm trees as much as I do. In 1939, The Argus published a few articles and letters urging Melburnians to 'banish ugliness' by painting houses, railway stations, shops, factories and offices. There was also the following letter suggesting that Melbourne could rid itself of palm trees to banish ugliness, especially from small domestic gardens.
Banish Ugliness.
Sir - Banish Ugliness is an excellent slogan and in my opinion we might begin with the palms and banish them. In large grounds and parks palms look very well but in small gardens they are out of
place shutting out as they do light and air from the windows and taking nourishment from the borders. The hideous leggy variety, lifting its little tuft of dirty leaves to high heaven is merely a blot on the landscape and many an otherwise beautiful little garden is ruined by these monsters. Melbourne should be a picture in November with its wealth of early flowers but it will look a great deal lovelier if we get rid of the palms which never would be missed."
Yours, &c, FLORA. Hawthorn (
The Argus, August 4, 1939, see
here)
The letter writer, above, was not the only person critical of palms in small domestic gardens. In 1950, Professor J.T Burke gave a lecture on 'Ghastly Melbourne'. The report of the lecture is transcribed in full and as well as the palm tree, the Professor also disliked the Spanish Mission style of architecture, which I really like. It appears, then, that my taste is basically ghastly.
Where Melbourne's Good Taste Was "Ghastly"
Melbourne's "architectural anachronisms," "atrocities" and "incongruities" suffered under verbal thunderbolts shot by the Professor of Fine Arts (Professor J. T. Burke) at Melbourne University last night. Provocatively entitled Ghastly Good Taste In Victoria, Professor Burke's lecture dealt pungently with the mistakes of the past and constructively with what should happen in the future. He said the "ghastly good taste" to which he referred was not confined to one particular country or State. The decline of taste which occurred in the nineteenth century was no worse here than in England, France or the United States. The distinguishing feature was historicism - the imitation of a variety of historical styles, none of which had any valid relation to the present.
Turkish DelightThe first group of phenomena in the boom phase could be classified under the broad title of "Turkish delight." To illustrate the architectural confusion and indecision that prevailed, Professor Burke showed lantern slides of suburban homes in which the Morrocan clashed with the baronial and other foreign styles of design and ornamentation.
Professor Burke amused an audience of 400 people with his description of the evolution of the Spanish Mission style of house. "This," he said, "originated in California, swept the United States, crossed the Atlantic to England, leaped across the Channel to France, and finally penetrated into Spain itself."
Early Gems
After praising the fine bluestone buildings erected by the first generation of Australians, Professor Burke said that the second generation seemingly labored under the delusion that this was a tropical climate. Enthusiasm for the eastern Mediterranean was not confined to architecture. Palm trees were planted." There is no sadder sight than the single solitary palm tree in the small suburban gardens of Melbourne," he commented.
As the high-water mark of ghastly good taste in Victoria, Professor Burke listed the Flinders-street railway station, facing beautiful St. Paul's Cathedral. The railway yards effectively ruined what could be one of the most magnificent views in any city in the world. He advocated adoption of a plan for a green belt and the setting up of a national trust for Victoria. (
The Age, October 19, 1950, see
here)
The National Trust was established in New South Wales in 1945 and in Victoria in 1956. A green belt was incorporated into the planning scheme in 1971, with Rupert Hamer, then Minister for Local Government and later Premier of Victoria, credited with the initiative. And we are lucky some of it still remains, with the ever increasing push for development at all costs which drives many current politicians.
Professor J.T. Burke was Joseph Terence Burke (1913-1992). As noted in his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by Sheridan Palmer -
In 1946 Burke became the inaugural Herald professor of fine arts at the University of Melbourne. The first of its kind in Australia, the position was instigated by Sir Keith Murdoch and established with a gift from the Herald and Weekly Times Ltd. Burke was expected to promote the appreciation of art in both the university and the wider community. You can read the rest of the entry here
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/burke-sir-joseph-terence-16323
When I find a suitable photograph of a palm tree in a small garden, I will post it. I will also add any other criticism of palms trees, if I find it, but I hope I don't!
