South Australian Architecture: Influences from the US (1890-1950)

This essay examines the influence of United States architecture on South Australian architecture between 1890 and 1950, focusing on how American urban designs and styles impacted commercial and residential buildings. It highlights the shift from British colonial influences to American stylistic elements, particularly in commercial office towers and private bungalows. Key figures like Walter Burley Griffin, who designed Canberra, and buildings like Adelaide High School and Newman College are discussed as examples of this influence. The essay also explores the adoption of elements like verandahs and the impact of Modernism on the architectural landscape of South Australia, detailing how these changes contributed to the development of a unique Australian architectural identity that incorporates both international trends and local adaptations. Desklib provides access to more past papers and solved assignments for students.

Running head: SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

Introduction:
Australian architecture is considered to be consistent with architectural trends in the
broader western world in combination of special adaptation to compensate for distinctive
Australian climate and cultural factors1. Australian’s early history consist ingenious Australian
only for semi-permanent structures production available from readily available materials. During
the early years of Australia, the collection of British colonies existing in Australia influenced the
architectural styles by British designs. Although there was the influence from the colonial areas,
Australia’s unique climate demanded adaption. The 20th century trends of Australia’s architecture
reflected in the increasing influence of American urban designs. It also manifested cultural tastes
and requirements of diverse and requirements of an Australian society that is highly
multicultural. Through this essay the influences from the united states that are identified in the
south Australian architecture is focused. The architecture that the essay focuses are between the
ranges of 1890-1950. By the use of local building, describing the architectural climate the essay
describes the influences are represented. The essay is an attempt to understand the differences
and the influences of the colonial architecture that occurred during that period and in it way
contributed or shaped in the Australia’s architecture.
Influences of United States:
The architecture was used as a means of public relation in the early decades in order to propose
an impression of permanence and prosperity to likely immigrants and investors in Britain2. The
contribution to the architecture during the early decades is seen among the colony’s early
1 Othman, Zulkeplee. "Privacy, modesty, hospitality and the design of Muslim homes in Australia." PhD diss.,
Queensland University of Technology, 2016.
2 Atlagić, Siniša, and Milica Rašković. "British Public Diplomacy as a Means for Establishing Supremacy-Peaceful
Aspect." (2017).

building blocks. However, it was hardly outside the taste of English Victorian. In the 20th
century, the British stylistic were influenced by American stylistic. The part had a significant
influence on the latest commercial office towers of the city centre as well as private bungalows
in the Californian and neo-Tudor styles that are seen in most modern suburbs alike to Colonel
Light Gardens and Toorak Gardens. The formal registration began in 1939 for architectures. This
period personalities such as Louis Laybourne Smith overshadowed the architectural teaching.
Louis Laybourne Smith was the head of architecture at the University of South Australia for 40
years. The first appearance was of Modernism was in the late 1930s however the impact of
modernism on full strength was only after 1950. Within next few decades a style name as
Delaide Regional was identified Some of the exceptional building of this epoch are Jack
McConnell’s Bank of New South Wales in King William Street and the former David Jones
department store in Rundle Mall, Fitzgerald and Brogan’s Adelaide Boys’ High School in the
West Parklands, Guy Maron’s Bicentennial Tropical Conservatory in Adelaide Botanic Garden
and Rod Roach’s Metropolitan Fire Service headquarters in Wakefield Street.3 These building
are standing tall for past 70 years. Compared to the previous years, the modern era has turned
entirely internationalized. The period before is seen as the era influenced by the colonial stylistic
that led emergence of historical buildings 4.
Australia began playing with ideas from 20th century, this is considered as the most significant
architecture movements in Australia architecture called the Federation architecture. During this
time, Australia began to play reject he historicism. An American architect name, Walter Burley
Griffin played one of the key role in designing Australia’s capital, Canberra. The legacy of their
3 Darian-Smith, Kate, and James Waghorne. "Australian universities and the commemoration of the First World
War." History of Education Review 45, no. 2 (2016): 239-255.
4 Weiler, Betty, Brent Moyle, and Char-lee McLennan. "Disciplines that influence tourism doctoral research: the
United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand." Annals of Tourism Research 39, no. 3 (2012): 1425-1445.

unique architecture was confined within a smaller number of buildings in Melbourne as well as
the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag. Castlecarg was mainly planned by the American architect, the
Griffins and it featured various houses designed in the organic modernist style which was
developed after the Prarie school architecture. It was also a mark of his early career in United
States5. The simple cottages with flat roof that was designed by the Griffins designed in Canberra
patented techniques for concrete construction. To Australian architecture, one of the most
important local introduction was the Verandah. Verandah have always been featured very
prominently in Australian vernacular architecture. It became widely popular in the colonial
buildings during the 1850s.
Local building: Adelaide High School
Considering both local level as well as state level the Adelaide High School is historically
relevant. The reason this building is considered relevant is due to its link with the state’s first
high school. It is set as an example of post- war development. The design of the building and its
style reflects the influences of architectural modernism. Located in the Adelaide, the building
was built in the year 1947. The Adelaide High School was designed by Edward B Fitzgerald,
John K Brogan. Built in the 1947, the architectural style of the building is 4 post war period (c.
1940- 1960), 4.3 modern. The building has a high historical value as it was the first state high
school.
The 70 years old building is a notable building in the architecture history for it was the result of a
national architectural competition. Within the duration of 11 years, the building was completely
5 Vernon, Christopher. "Recovering Walter Burley Griffin's final American city plan." Planning Perspectives 30, no.
4 (2015): 625-637.

constructed. The construction duration of the building includes period of interruption that
occurred due to second world war, associated labor and material shortage. The building notably
stands one of the most notable large scale examples in Adelaide as in ‘functionlist’ style
architecture. The openly expressed building is the structural system and in every way the
external form that is the Adelaide High School, is a combination of the asymmetrically arranged
rectilinear as well as curved forms which are expressing the functions inside of the building. The
ornament of the building is expressed in the arrangement along with windows and entrance in
details6. The building has is a face brick building with strip glazing. The strip glazing is set
forward of the brickwork. It is important to mention that the upper floor cantilevers that is placed
over on the ground floor’s vertical glazing. The Adelaide High School is a building form that is a
sweeping curve in the plan has been intersected with tower and cube forms placed at the entry.
The palette of material used involves glazed tiles, brick and on the internal part rendered walls.
Adelaide High School which is with flat roof is concealed behind a parapet. The parapet walls
that were hiding the roofs, curved elements, continuous horizontal window lines and corners are
the perfect examples of the “modern” aesthetic, which had as its elementary philosophy the
formal recognition of every function7.
Local building: Newman College
Newman collage is located in the Melbourne university’s grounds. It is estimated to be one of
the best-designed building by the American architect, Walter Burley Griffin. The building is
recognized across the world as Griffin’s distinctive sculpture style. Griffin’s innovative and mind
blowing usage of stone finish to a construction is demonstrated of Newman College. The
6 Way, Thaïsa. "American landscape architecture at mid-century: modernism, science, and art." In Women,
Modernity, and Landscape Architecture, pp. 171-190. Routledge, 2015.
7 Comber, Barbara. "Schools as meeting places: Critical and inclusive literacies in changing local environments."
Language Arts 90, no. 5 (2013): 361-371.

building is unique and innovatively designed by the popular architect including all the fixtures,
furniture and fittings. The building of the college is in great geometric design, which includes a
dining hall as well as residential wings. It was created using an innovative blend. The
combination was created by mix of rough stone base with concrete in smooth masses. The
surrounding of the building that is looks like a park was designed by the American architect’s
wife, Marion Mahony, it is considered as one of the examples of an Australian flora garden
designed by a landscape architect. The most attractive and eye-catching feature of the Newman
college is the domed refectory that was made from reinforced concrete. During the period when
the building was constructed, it was one of the initial domes that were built in Australia as well
as the most magnificent in structure. Also, there are no other dome in Australia that has been
designed in the very same way. The tall standing building is still continuing to be used as a
university college. It has been an essential part of the University of Melbourne since its
beginning which was in the year 1918. In the year 1914, Walter Burley Griffin and his wife
Marion Mahony came to Australia. It was immediately after winning the international design
contest for Australia's brand-new capital city, Canberra. They continue working in Australia
designing the entire suburbs such as located in Sydney, the Castlecrag. They also worked
building individual buildings before they left Australia in 19358.
From a larger scheme, the L-shaped element of the residential wings, as well as the doomed
refectory, was realised. Two similar L-shaped components were visualised to be symmetrically
inclined about a first standing free chapel building. The other doomed structures were designed
to make it the college library. The free-standing chapel was decided to be the entire
composition’s centre. However until the 1930s while raising funds, it was inadequate to
8 Paull, John. "A history of the organic agriculture movement in Australia." In Organics in the global food chain, pp.
37-61. Connor Court Publishing, 2013.

construct Archbishop Carr Memorial Chapel. Although initially, the construction of the block at
the western end of the l_shaped household had an indoor swimming pool and a billiard room, the
study was constructed in the later years. A temporary chapel and a laboratory were in the upper
level of the block at the southern end of the L housed. In 1936, a competition for the chapel was
conducted. The resubmission of Griffin’s unique design, however, the college council chose a
different design presented by the opponent.
Eventually, on the conclusion of the new chapel, the library was relocated from the
eastern spur wing to the spaces of the temporary chapel and the laboratory. The senior common
room was the eastern spur wing, and the junior common room converted the billiards room in the
western block. The primary matron’s quarters and an infirmary in places around the dome at the
upper level were vacated for rooms for Jesuit priests running the college.
Newman College is one of the outstanding example produced by Walter burley Griffin. He was
trained in America and in the Chicago school of architecture he gained his initial professional
experience. Since he was under the employment of Frank Lloyd Wright from 1902 to 19059 there
are attached value to this sight. This particular college is significant for its relation with the
architecture, aesthetic value that is interrelated with the architecture of Write and Chicago
school. Griffin’s architectural style is beautifully projected in the project that involves usage of
stone, concrete and ornaments that later became his hallmark.
The building is considered the largest single extant building in Australia. The dominant feature
of the building is the extraordinary dining hall which is top lit and contracts with dark corridors
and the long low cloisters. The build is a representation of Griffin’s excellence of building down
9 Beynon, D. J., Brandon Gardiner, Ursula de Jong, Mirjana Lozanovska, and Flavia Marcello. "An issues paper: the
roots/routes of Australian architecture: elements of an alternative architectural history." In Proceedings of the
Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand: 31, Translation, pp. 639-658. Unitec New Zealand,
2014.

to finest details including fittings, fixtures and furniture. The Newman College also has a chapel
and Kenny Wing that form an essential element in the Griffin plan. The elements that are deeply
thought and carefully designed are the master work of Griffin and his way of being sympathetic
with the architecture of the original building. The grand chapel Square and the main entry were
formed with the other main building by Griffin. The chapel’s worth was mainly based on the
size, proportion and design details. The details of the designs include the window tracery and
timber roof. The work done using plants are important to mention as it shows Griffin’s landscape
designing skills. His passion for native vegetation and dedication was represented to an
Australian style10.
Conclusion:
During the initial years when the Europeans were settling in Australia, architecture was
used as way of building relationships with the public. Architecture was utilized to project an
impression of constancy, it projected wealth to the investors in Britain and the possible
immigrants. In the colony’s initial buildings the legacy of that campaign can be perceived
through various ways. Specifically it was through colony’s building built initially, a high
proportion of which was well designed and worked in details. However, it rarely ventured
outside the English Victorian taste. The taste’s formality, combined with the geometric
association of urban portions and parkland were William Light’s legacy. It stretched extending
much of Adelaide and North Adelaide that is considered as the character unlike other cities is in
the state. Numerous distinctive public buildings as well as private buildings were produced by
George Strickland Kingston. The factors mainly considered were the weather or Mediterranean
climatic conditions however only little continuing influence was found, commercial and official
10 Nasr, Joe, and June Komisar. "Displaying urban agriculture: from garden city to carrot city." Exhibitions and the
Development of Modern Planning Culture (2014): 277.

buildings by architects such as Edmund Wright and Thomas English were almost always in one
of the Victorian classical revival styles.
In the 20th century, ancient architectural limits were challenged and fresh ways of doing
and carrying out things explored. Architecture particularly from this era, both in Australia as well
as overseas, endures testament to this period of investigation. Although Australia is
geographically isolated, Australian engineers and planners are considered as among the first do
investigation and introduce innovative architectural ways of expressing community, society and
corporate, in both government and private sector projects. Although there was the influence from
the colonial areas, Australia’s unique climate demanded adaption. The 20th century trends of
Australia’s architecture reflected in the increasing influence of American urban designs. It also
manifested cultural tastes and requirements of diverse and requirements of an Australian society
that is highly multicultural.

References:
Atlagić, Siniša, and Milica Rašković. "British Public Diplomacy as a Means for Establishing
Supremacy-Peaceful Aspect." (2017).
Beynon, D. J., Brandon Gardiner, Ursula de Jong, Mirjana Lozanovska, and Flavia Marcello.
"An issues paper: the roots/routes of Australian architecture: elements of an alternative
architectural history." In Proceedings of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and
New Zealand: 31, Translation, pp. 639-658. Unitec New Zealand, 2014.
Comber, Barbara. "Schools as meeting places: Critical and inclusive literacies in changing local
environments." Language Arts 90, no. 5 (2013): 361-371.
Darian-Smith, Kate, and James Waghorne. "Australian universities and the commemoration of
the First World War." History of Education Review 45, no. 2 (2016): 239-255.
Nasr, Joe, and June Komisar. "Displaying urban agriculture: from garden city to carrot city."
Exhibitions and the Development of Modern Planning Culture (2014): 277.
Othman, Zulkeplee. "Privacy, modesty, hospitality and the design of Muslim homes in
Australia." PhD diss., Queensland University of Technology, 2016.
Paull, John. "A history of the organic agriculture movement in Australia." In Organics in the
global food chain, pp. 37-61. Connor Court Publishing, 2013.
Vernon, Christopher. "Recovering Walter Burley Griffin's final American city plan." Planning
Perspectives 30, no. 4 (2015): 625-637.
Way, Thaïsa. "American landscape architecture at mid-century: modernism, science, and art." In
Women, Modernity, and Landscape Architecture, pp. 171-190. Routledge, 2015.

Weiler, Betty, Brent Moyle, and Char-lee McLennan. "Disciplines that influence tourism
doctoral research: the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand." Annals of Tourism
Research 39, no. 3 (2012): 1425-1445.