Claiming domestic space: Queensland's interwar women architects and their labour saving devices
The interwar period was a significant era for the entry of women into the profession of architecture. This emergence of women architects coincided with an increasing number of public discussions that considered how domestic architecture could be improved to enhance the efficiency of domestic work. Numerous commentators in Australian newspapers and journals proposed that the only way to achieve optimal conditions in housing was to encourage more women to become architects. It was argued that women were naturally skilled at domestic work and therefore understood these work processes better than male architects. This article argues that Queensland was progressive in its acceptance of women into the profession of architecture. Through a desire for a better standard of housing in a hot and humid climate, women created their own niche within the male dominated profession of architecture in which to improve the built environment. This was architecture by women that sought to improve the day to day lives of Queensland women through the employment of labour saving devices.