‘You never get over such a loss’: Why Glenn Murcutt still works at 90

Michael BlebyDeputy property editor
Jul 24, 2026 – 5.00am

Glenn Murcutt blames the Brits for Australia’s backyard obsession. Our suburban landscape would be very different if the first white settlers had been Spanish or Portuguese, he argues.

“Here I am at 90,” the veteran architect says. “I have lived for more than a third of Europeans’ occupation of Australia, and we have done some terrible things.

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• Architecture
• NSW residential property
• Property development
• Weekend Fin
• AFR Weekend

Michael BlebyDeputy property editorMichael Bleby covers commercial and residential property, with a focus on housing and finance, construction, design & architecture. He is based in Melbourne. Contact Michael on Signal @MichaelBleby.01. Email Michael at mbleby@afr.com

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