George Temple-Poole


George Thomas Temple-Poole was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1885.
As Superintendant of Public Works, and then Principal Architect, Western Australia, in a period of rapid urban development during the Australian gold boom, he made notable contributions to Australian architecture and town planning prior to federation. His designs for public space and buildings are often identified and preserved by local councils and heritage registers. He also held roles relating to town planning, commerce, the arts, and 'society' of Western Australia. His founding and chairing of committees and institutions included; the Western Australian Institute of Architects, Perth Park, and the Wilgie Sketching Society.

Early life and education

George Temple-Poole was born in Rome, Italy, to Louise Mary, née Poole, and John George Temple, a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army. Poole's father died shortly after the family returned to England following the Crimean War. His mother remarried, altering his surname to Temple-Poole. He was educated at Winchester College in England. Articled in engineering and architecture to a London engineering firm designing harbour works for the River Thames, he then practised in Ceylon for two years before being appointed to the Public Works Department in Western Australia.

Works and life

Poole designed a 'series' of public buildings that were constructed in and around ports, towns and suburbs of Western Australia during the Federation Period c. 1890 – c. 1915. While his work was largely influenced by contemporary British movements, Poole contributed in the development of the Australian architectural response to environment and circumstances. He provided a unifying style to the public buildings as government established its presence throughout Western Australia. His buildings influenced residential and non-residential architecture in the state regional centres.
Poole was also an artist, painting in watercolours and oils and was the founder of the Wilgie Sketching Club. He was a prominent Freemason, Anglican and member of the Weld Club, an important member of the Perth establishment.
In June 1902, Poole ran for parliament, contesting the 1902 Claremont by-election. He placed fifth out of five candidates, polling just 6.5 percent.

Public works

Appointed by the British government as a supervisor for the Public Works department in 1885, he became head of department in 1889, then assistant-engineer-in-chief and Principal Architect, Western Australia.
The discovery and exploitation of gold and other mineral wealth during his period resulted in increased migration and associated commerce. Prior to this, the colony then state's growth was modest in comparison.
His designs for were often built in emerging towns, sometimes in very remote areas such as the north west of Australia. One of his first projects was Roebourne and its port Cossack. The gaol complex, designed in 1886, for that place was an "unusual octagonal" design and featured the use of verandahs, planned siting in a complex, locally quarried freestone walls and slave labour by those to be incarcerated.
In 1894 Temple-Poole created design standards for "official" and "public" buildings including banks and assay offices, etc., in the "gold boom" towns Coolgardie, Marble Bar and Cue and the main staging town for the goldfields, York. The goldfields works were sometimes the first permanent structure in locations occupied by "shantie" and other improvised buildings thereby creating centres of government and commerce in what became larger towns and cities in Western Australia.
The siting or replacing of courts, gaols, police stations and other buildings around the state was also occurring at this time, following the establishment of "responsible government" from Perth. He also supervised and designed new buildings or additions for the established towns Albany and York, the port: Fremantle, the centre of government: Perth, and other parts of Western Australia. To meet the significantly increased population, post offices, schools, lighthouses and town halls were constructed in this period. Architectural reference was made to earlier colonial buildings, gracefully acknowledging the prior colonial architects, but existing ones were often removed to site the new plan. Large scale harbour, railway and other planning schemes were also realised during his time as "government architect", and these also required new buildings and structures.
Poole's work contained a variety of design approaches that could display the new government's authority or facilitate public works and schemes. The Lands Department building in Cathedral Avenue, Perth is in the classic tradition. In contrast, plans such as the identical village railway precincts of Claremont and Walkaway have been identified as examples of Federation Arts and Crafts. Claremont was to become a population centre "halfway" between the port of Fremantle and the city. Walkaway, the end of a 400 km railway line from Perth, was abandoned, becoming a tourist destination occupied only by National Trust guides.
Other Federation Arts and crafts buildings include the York railway station buildings, the York Hospital, the Albany Cottage Hospital, the Fremantle Arts Centre Southern extensions, and the Claremont Police Station and other buildings such as the York Post Office and residence contain Federation Arts and crafts features.
Poole resigned from the position of government architect in 1897 but returned from 1900–1902 to finalise works on the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme after the death of its author C Y O'Connor.

Later roles

After resigning from this position he continued to have an important role in public life; founding or chairing professional organisations and government committees. This is a range of examples:
Temple-Poole started a private practice with Christian Mouritzen and designed private residences for himself and wealthy clients. His residence, Tagel, overlooking the Swan River from Crawley, was in an English Arts and Crafts style. This burnt down, destroying almost all his private documents and art, but a similar design by him is extant in Cottesloe.
He was also appointed as one of three commissioners to design the new British capital in India but ill health forced him to decline. This position was taken up by renowned English architect Edwin Lutyens.
Along with his second wife, artist Daisy Mary, he was amongst the overlapping memberships of the new clubs and groups that were forming in Perth at that time. The Wilgie Sketching club promoted local subjects, flora and fauna, and a shift from imitation of English styles and subject matter. He was well known to the wider community and referred to in the newspapers of the day, including editorial cartoons, and his fame extended to the Eastern States and the 'home country'. They had one daughter and resided in Crawley and Claremont. He retired to the arts and literature community centred around the hills village of Darlington where he died in 1934.

Notable works

Other examples of Poole's work are: