"Harold Desbrowe-Annear was an enigma: an architect who counted among his clients some of Melbourne's wealthiest families and among his friends a wide range of bohemian artists and writers. In this illustrated biography, Harriet Edquist explores both the multifaceted work and unconventional life of this intriguing man, a life that was sometimes scandalous and always eventful." "Trained during the heady days of Melbourne's 1880s, land boom and imbued with the ideals of the arts and Crafts movement, Desbrowe-Annear embraced the power of architecture to improve people's lives. He promoted the idea of an 'architecture of democracy': an art available to everyone. From 1889 to 1933, he was responsible for some of the most innovative houses in Melbourne and on the Mornington Peninsula."--BOOK JACKET.