Beryl Guertner b. 22 October 1917

Guertner was the editor of Australian House and Garden from its first issue in December 1948. She promoted interior design and contemporary architecture by publishing the work of Grant Featherston, Marion Hall Best, Sydney Ancher and others. She also wrote widely on gardening and published widely in the field.

Beryl Guertner (1917-1981) was the 1948 founding editor of “Australian House and Garden” following a career as a journalist for the Sydney “Daily Telegraph”. She remained with “Australian House and Garden” until 1973. The “Australian book of furnishing and decorating” was published in 1967 and addressed the market for instructional works. The book offers practical chapters on colour, furniture periods, soft furnishings, window treatments, living and dining rooms and other topics. While informative, the book’s importance arises from the colour and the black and white photographs of interiors by well-regarded interior designers of the era including Leslie Walford, (cover), Tom Hardy [also known as Harding], Décor Associates, Mrs A. Syme; Riddell Interiors, Melbourne; Ms Merle de Boulay; John Bown; Graeme Over; Mr T. Potts; Barry Little and James Swartzman. It is notable that a small number of the interiors are attributed to architectural firms, illustrating that by the mid-1960s, architects were beginning to compete in the field of interior design.

Writers:

Michael Bogle
Date written:
2012
Last updated:
2014