Creating a Georgian Doll’s House with Suzanne Katz

In 2013, Suzanne Katz, then a trainee guide at The Johnston Collection, was interested in Georgian architecture and design, but was living in a late twenty-first-century house. On the death of her father, she decided to build a Georgian doll’s house in his memory, using a legacy left to her by him. To indulge her interest, she planned and built a doll’s house with as many Georgian features and pieces of furniture as possible, using objects from The Johnston Collection as an inspiration.

This presentation follows the project from the arrival of a huge package of very basic pieces from the UK, through a steep learning curve, to a now delightfully furnished and fitted house. The doll’s house features in The Johnston Collection’s current arrangement, Home Comforts.

Originally a kindergarten teacher, Suzanne Katz became interested in family and parent education, and co-authoring a book, ‘Start them Young’ (Rigby, 1982) which was serialized in The Women’s Weekly magazine. This led to working for the State Government and then Local Government in family and parenting education programs, where she regularly delivered presentations to schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and community centres. She was a volunteer guide for seven years at the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, followed by nine years as a Volunteer Guide at The Johnston Collection. She is a member of ArtsNational (formerly ADFAS) Glen Eira and has served as Committee member for three years.

This program is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the lecture, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This lecture is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our exhibition-house, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

Image: Suzanne Katz with her doll's house, 2025.