The Johnston Collection, Decorative arts museum in East Melbourne, Australia

The Johnston Collection is a decorative arts museum housed in a restored 1860s townhouse where English Georgian, Regency, and Louis XV furnishings and objects are displayed across multiple rooms. The collection was assembled by William Robert Johnston, an antique dealer who spent decades acquiring these pieces.

Fairhall was built in the 1860s by John M. McIntosh for dental surgeon James Cummings as a six-room, single-front townhouse. In 1883 owner George Hamilton Dougharty named it Cadzow. William Robert Johnston bought it from the Dougharty family in 1952, renamed it Fairhall and remodelled it to resemble a Georgian townhouse, altering the fenestration, replacing the front door and adding a semicircular fanlight. He bequeathed house and collection to the people of Victoria in 1986.

Artists and designers from the local art scene regularly reinterpret the collection through seasonal installations that appear three times a year. These collaborations let visitors see historical pieces from fresh perspectives and connect the past with contemporary creative thinking.

Visitors meet at the Pullman East Melbourne, 192 Wellington Parade, and reach the museum by courtesy bus in about five minutes. Tours run Wednesday to Sunday and must be booked in advance. The house sits in a residential street, so independent arrival is not possible.

The house was built in the 1860s for dental surgeon James Cummings as a six-room, single-front property; owner George Hamilton Dougharty renamed it Cadzow in 1883. Johnston bought it from the Dougharty family in 1952 and gave it the name Fairhall. He also altered the fenestration, replaced the front door and inserted a semicircular fanlight to make it resemble a Georgian townhouse.