Writing on the wall

He traces the origins of wallpaper in Australia from the mid-19th century, using evidence such as the 11 layers removed from a worker's cottage in Pyrmont during renovation. These layers dated from the 1840s to the 1880s and provide a neat timeline of styles.

Adding another layer of wallpaper was a common practice back then. A cottage in Prospect, in the west of Sydney, was found to have 26 layers of wallpaper, all added during the first half of the 20th century.

The popularity of wallpaper has peaked and troughed many times since. The last great wallpaper revival in Australia occurred from 1960 to about 1980, with Australian makers and designers accounting for 20 per cent of the market.

Then came the fashion for pale, untreated wall surfaces, which killed this industry virtually overnight. Who would have thought it would ever return? Perhaps the only ones were a small group of collectors who sensed that the wallpaper being thrown out in the late '80s must be worth something.

Among these designs were the fanciful designs of the '50s and the hard-edge styles of the '60s, showing the influence of pop art and psychedelia. And then there was the work of Sydney artist Florence Broadhurst.

After starting Australian (Hand Printed) Wallpapers in 1959, she changed the name to Florence Broadhurst Wallpaper Pty Ltd when she moved to a new studio in Paddington in 1969. Her work was becoming internationally recognised when she was murdered in 1977, a crime that remains unsolved. Recently, Broadhurst's life has been the subject of several books and a 2006 docudrama by Gillian Armstrong.

Interest in her, and in wallpaper, can be traced back to the 1996 launch of Wallpaper* magazine (the asterisk is trademarked). Founded by Canadian journalist Tyler Brule, this quickly became the most influential design magazine in the world. Brule was a fan of Broadhurst's work and when he featured examples in the magazine, the revival took off.

Broadhurst produced more than 800 designs during her career and while some have been re-released by Signature Prints, original rolls are now worth hundreds of dollars each, especially trademarked designs such as the peacocks. Collectors who picked up rolls in the late '80s (and they were available then for a few dollars each) would now have a sizeable investment. There are other designs of value, with many examples featured in Lech's book.

The usual percentages apply. Perhaps only one roll in 100 could be considered a classic. A good example is the wallpaper featuring a woven-fibre effect, as shown in a Grace Bros samples catalogue of the mid-'50s.

This indicates our growing interest in Polynesian themes. Another classic '50s design (see Starter Guide) has a modernist Picasso feel. It was featured in Australian House and Garden magazine in 1956, described as a whimsical pattern for kitchen or dining room. Today it would work wonders in an inner-city cafe. Another extraordinary work from the Historic Houses Trust collection is a red and white-striped circus tent motif, part of a complete interior design project by Marion Best. The wallpaper was found intact in the games room of a home in Wahroonga.

The designs of Best are now regarded as highly significant, nearly in the same league as Broadhurst.

Older designs are harder to find but the Caroline Simpson Library has examples in mint condition dating back to the '20s.

Wallpaper is available at most bookstores, at the Historic Houses Trust's new Mint Shop at 10 Macquarie Street, or online at shop.hht.net.au. Accessories, gifts and homewares inspired by the trust's wallpaper collection are also available.

This classic 1950s pattern by Sanderson was found in a sample book distributed in 1956 by James Sandy of Sydney. This design was featured in Australian House and Garden magazine.

This stained-glass pattern by Florence Broadhurst was commissioned by Sydney interior designer Kevin Hambly about 1968. Broadhurst's designs are in huge demand.

Psychedelic patterns were produced in the late 1960s for those who wanted to hallucinate in the privacy of their own homes. This one was manufactured by United DeSoto in the US.

MY COLLECTION

Bryan Fitzgerald and his partner Casey Khik run the influential Chee Soon & Fitzgerald design shop in Crown Street, Surry Hills. Bryan began collecting vintage wallpaper in his native New Zealand as a teenager. Back then wallpaper had no vintage value and he could get it for 50? a roll.

When they set up the Sydney shop, they specialised in mid-20th century design and sold classic wallpaper to match the furniture. Older ladies would walk in and say, "I've got a bedroom cupboard full of that, do you want to pick it up?"

If those ladies were from the eastern suburbs those unwanted rolls may have been by Florence Broadhurst or Marion Best. That all changed when Tyler Brule dropped in one day and decided he wanted to feature vintage wallpaper in his magazine. Suddenly wallpaper was back in fashion with a vengeance.

"It's pretty hard to find these days, especially the original pieces," Fitzgerald says. "Whatever does survive is usually found at auction." Six or seven matching rolls of Florence Broadhurst could fetch up to $1000 these days. It's rare to pick up anything decent under $100 a roll.

He says that he and Casey, and the shop, have now moved on. Recently the majority of their collection was donated to the Caroline Simpson Library. Much of it features in Michael Lech's book.

One item Fitzgerald couldn't part with is this prized 1959 Florence Broadhurst sample book, produced when her business was called Australian (Hand Printed) Wallpapers. Value estimated at $1000.