Blonde wood among the gum trees: Scandanavian influences in furniture design in Australia, 1930-1975

A discussion of Scandinavian influences in furniture design in Australia from 1930 to 1975. After World War II, Scandinavian and Finnish craft and industrial design practice provided an alternative to the dominant British and American hegemonies of taste, particularly in furniture. Whereas Australians often perceived British design to mean 'heritage' and American to denote 'modern,' Scandinavian design was viewed as meaning 'naturalness,' with an emphasis on the crafts that resonated with local designers and consumers. The writer goes on to examine the furniture design situation in Australia prior to Scandinavian influence, the emergence of Scandinavia as a world design 'centre,' how its influence was spread in Australia, and the resulting Australian-Scandinavian furniture hybrids.