From Colonial Revival to Architectural Regionalism: Representational Alteration in the Case of Australia’s Head of Mission Residence in New Delhi

ABSTRACT The choice of New Delhi as the location for the first Australian diplomatic building to be constructed after the Second World War reflected the growing significance of India in relation to the spread of Communism in Asia. As the importance of diplomatic representation and activity for Australia within India grew, so too did the need for suitable premises. For this purpose, arguments were made for the erection of new buildings in New Delhi for Australia’s Department of External Affairs. From initial design ideas in 1951, it took over ten years for the Head of Mission residence to be completed in 1962, and then another four years for the chancery to be opened in 1966. This paper describes the process that led to the construction of the first of these – the HOM residence – which involved two different design concepts, one based on an Australian colonial stylistic idiom and the other on a modern regionalist approach. The paper examines these two concepts for their representational intent, revealing that the desired image of respectful dignity was open to architectural interpretation which itself depended on the political complexities and practical challenges facing the Australian government in its effort to construct a diplomatic building in India in the 1950s.