Jeff Robinson's Weekend favourites
Each year, Open House Melbourne curates a special Sustainability itinerary inspired by avid Open House Melbourne fan Jeff Robinson—places and experiences we know he would have loved.
Jeff cherished a good story and would have been first in line for the ARBV’s Tales of Melbourne Theatres tour. Led by Conservation Studio, this guided walk celebrates the city’s theatrical and cultural history through seven of Melbourne’s most iconic theatres.
Heritage was close to Jeff’s heart. He saw its value not only in connecting us to the past, but in its ability to speak to the present. On the Open House Weekend, he would have explored the Abbotsford Convent with architects Peter Williams and Lynn Chew, alongside heritage expert Nigel Lewis. He would have popped into the ANZ Gothic Bank to see where Sir George Verdon, the General Manager, once lived and worked in the 1880s. And he would have been drawn to the adaptive reuse of the Younghusband Woolstore, Morris Moor and the evolving Rushall Park—each captivating examples of how heritage can respond to the way we live today.
Jeff loved places that were grounded in community. Gospel Hall—one of the world’s oldest surviving Chinese churches—the Melbourne Camera Club’s ‘Stories of the City’ photo exhibition and Ziebell’s Farmhouse with its stories of migration and resilience, would have caught his eye and sparked his curiosity.
Jeff’s passion for sustainability would have seen him starting the Weekend with Living Moments: Buildings That Evolve—a conversation exploring the ways heritage can be preserved and reimagined through adaptive reuse. He would be first through the door at ECHO.1, a new Passivhaus-certified townhouse development.
Jeff would have admired the innovation behind Northcote House, where LLDS Architects fuse digital fabrication and contemporary design. The Cairo Flats—with its mix of contemporary renovation and enduring charm—would have delighted him. And finally, he would have embraced Reworlding Naarm—an urban role-playing game inviting participants to collectively imagine the future of the city—a perfect reflection of Jeff’s optimism and belief in our shared ability to shape a better world.
Over many years, Jeff built deep connections with the Open House Melbourne community— sharing his warmth, wit and unmistakable accent. His generosity, big smile and boundless passion for all things architecture, heritage and sustainability are deeply missed. Open House Melbourne is richer for Jeff’s contribution.
