The Story of the Melocco Brothers
by Zeny Edwards
Executive editor, Victoria Hynes
The work of Melocco Bros is embedded in the architecture of Australia. In mosaic, terrazzo, sgraffito, scagliola and many derivations of this ancient art, these exotic terms are presented in stunning images as the story unfolds about how three extraordinary brothers who migrated from a small village in northern Italy to Sydney made their mark in history, painting with stone.
In 1908, with nothing more than their talent and the indomitable desire to succeed, Peter, Antonio, and Galliano Melocco founded a business that would redefine their adopted city.
Sydneysiders might have booked a train ticket amidst the mural frieze and terrazzo mosaic floor at Central Station, shopped at the marbled David Jones and Mark Foys, or transacted amidst the gleaming columns of the Commonwealth Bank at Martin Place, or the Bank of New South Wales in George Street.
On the weekend, they might have marvelled at the magnificent Tasman Map in the entrance foyer of the Mitchell Library or silently contemplated the heroic exploits of the Anzacs in the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park. Others would have been awed by the extraordinary mosaic and terrazzo crypt under St Mary’s Cathedral and in the evenings, entertained in the glorious picture palace of the State Theatre.
Speaking through the language of stone, each inanimate piece of their tesserae ‘earth’ enriched Australia’s architecture and elevated it from beyond architecture to the realm of art. Astonishingly, ninety per cent of the marble, scagliola, and terrazzo work in hundreds of Sydney’s public buildings up to the 1960s bear the handiwork of Melocco craftsmen.
Despite the ubiquity of the Melocco Bros’ work, detailed acknowledgement of their achievements has been lacking until now. In Painting with Stone, architectural historian Zeny Edwards rectifies this gap and shows that these three brothers were masters of innovation and craftsmanship who have long deserved special recognition in Australia’s architectural history.
Painting with Stone includes photographs by Eric Sierins, a Master architectural photographer based in Sydney with over 35 years of experience. He worked at Max Dupain & Associates until 2012 and now is the holder of the Max Dupain archives.
This history project was commissioned by Victoria Hynes, an arts writer and editor of 25 years and granddaughter of Peter Melocco, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy Sydney and Co.As.It. Sydney.
About the author
Zeny Edwards is an architectural historian, award-winning biographer, and human rights advocate. She has published the biographies of Australian architects John Sulman and William Hardy Wilson, and photographers Harold Cazneaux and Max Dupain, among others. She is noted for her architectural histories of historic properties in Australia and overseas. Zeny has served as president of the National Trust of Australia (NSW), Director of the UNAA Peace Program and Vice-president of the 20th Century Heritage Society.
Book details
- 224 pages, hardback, 250 mm (H) x 270 mm (W)
- 100+ full colour photographs
- ISBN 978-1-7635361-4-2
About the publisher
From personal and corporate histories to business books and soft diplomacy titles for governments, Longueville Media has been producing acclaimed and award-winning books for 22 years.
Its latest work is Andrew Caillard MW’s landmark three-volume history The Australian Ark: The Story of Australian Wine, 1788 to the Present Day, of which The Australian newspaper said: ‘the heft and luxurious feel of each individual volume recalls the grand art-publishing houses of Europe.’