Geraldine Maher
Geraldine Maher is an outstanding Australian interior designer whose career has made a sustained and influential contribution to design practice, public architecture and professional leadership in Australia. Based in Melbourne, she is the founder and director of Maher Design and is widely respected for her intellectual rigour, design integrity and commitment to excellence across complex civic, institutional and cultural projects.
Across several decades of practice, Geraldine has demonstrated an exceptional capacity to unite conceptual clarity with deep technical knowledge. Her work is distinguished by a thoughtful and highly disciplined design process, grounded in rigorous exploration of spatial planning, materiality and detail. With a strong commitment to contextual responsiveness, she has consistently advanced the relationship between interior and exterior environments, creating spaces that are authentic, humane and enduring. Her advocacy for sustainability through minimal intervention—prioritising small, efficient and uplifting spaces—has been an important and influential contribution to contemporary Australian interior design discourse.
Born in Sydney and raised in Melbourne, Geraldine studied Interior Design at RMIT University, complemented by an exchange in Interior Architecture at the Fachhochschule in Wiesbaden, Germany. She began her professional career while still a student as an architectural assistant at Hassell, before gaining international experience as an interior designer in Hong Kong with Woods Bagot, RMJM and PSI International. This early exposure to global practice laid a strong foundation for her later leadership in large-scale and complex projects.
Upon returning to Australia in 1995, Geraldine joined Daryl Jackson Architects, where she would spend the next 22 years shaping some of the country’s most significant public interiors. Rising to become Associate, then Principal of Jackson Architecture and Director of Jackson Interiors, she played a pivotal design and leadership role across a diverse portfolio encompassing justice, education, workplace, hospitality, retail and public institutions. Her contribution to landmark projects—including the Victorian County Court, the Western Australian Supreme Court, the MCG Members’ Stand, the MCC Long Room and the Forum Theatre refurbishment—has left a lasting imprint on Australia’s civic and cultural landscape.
In 2018, Geraldine established Maher Design, continuing her practice with clarity of vision and independence. The studio has delivered a broad range of bespoke residential, retail, hospitality and workplace projects across Australia, many of which have been widely published in leading design journals including Artichoke, The Local Project and Yellowtrace. Central to her practice is a collaborative and relationship-driven approach, underpinned by respect for clients, consultants and craftspeople. Geraldine continues to contribute to major public projects through strategic collaboration with architectural practices and advisory roles within the industry.
Beyond practice, Geraldine has made a profound contribution to the profession through leadership, advocacy and mentorship. She is a highly regarded guest speaker, juror and academic mentor, generously sharing her knowledge with emerging practitioners. Notably, she has chaired the Australian Interior Design Awards for several years, guiding juries with insight, fairness and authority to ensure outcomes of the highest professional credibility.
An Accredited Member of the Design Institute of Australia, Geraldine Maher exemplifies leadership through practice, service and integrity. Her career reflects a deep commitment to the advancement of interior design as a discipline, and her influence continues to shape the quality, ethics and ambition of Australian design practice. Her induction into the DIA Hall of Fame recognises an enduring legacy of excellence, leadership and contribution to the profession.