Burcham Clamp

Last updated

Burcham Clamp
Born
John Burcham Clamp

(1869-11-03)3 November 1869
Died7 July 1931(1931-07-07) (aged 61)
Nationality Australian
Other namesJ. Burcham Clamp
Alma mater
OccupationArchitect
SpouseSusie Young
Parents
  • John Clamp
  • Sophia, née Hunt
Practice

John Burcham Clamp (1869-1931) (known as Burcham Clamp) was an architect born on 30 November 1869 at 743 George Street, Sydney. Known as Burcham, he won the Mort scholarship in 1882. In 1886 he received honorable mention in the student design competition of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales. In 1889 Clamp was awarded its gold medal; that May he was the first student admitted to its membership.

Contents

Early life

Clamp was born in 1869, the son of a hairdresser, John Clamp, and Sophia, née Hunt from Dublin. He was educated at the school of Christ Church St Laurence. In 1883 he became an articled clerk to the architect Henry Kent. He attended evening classes at the University of Sydney and Sydney Technical College. In 1889, while still a student, he was admitted to membership of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales.

Career

In 1899 Clamp went briefly into partnership with T. M. Smith, before establishing an independent practice in 1901 when he set up on his own and became known for efficient planning, competent design and secure construction. By 1910 he had been responsible for St James's Hall, Phillip Street; Victoria Hall, Manly; Lister Private Hospital and nurses' home, Darlinghurst; and such major projects as the enlargement of Winchcombe, Carson Limited's Pyrmont wool store, and Wyoming and Castlereagh chambers in the city. His most controversial commission was to rebuild Farmer & Company's Victoria House in Pitt Street obliterating J. Horbury Hunt's 1874 building which had been acclaimed as 'our finest example of street architecture'. Clamp's meeting with Walter Burley Griffin in the United States of America led to a brief partnership with him in Sydney in 1914. Later he was joined by C. H. Mackellar and they designed several factories and other buildings in 1918-24.In 1914 he was briefly in partnership with Walter Burley Griffin. [1] Between 1918 and 1924 he worked with C. H. Mackellar. Clamp was the building surveyor for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, and many of his buildings were for the diocese. He also built many commercial premises in and around Sydney. [1]

An active Anglican and prominent Freemason, Clamp was building surveyor for the diocese of Sydney, and exercised considerable influence in ecclesiastical architecture: among other projects he designed the Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) Chapel, North Sydney, St Matthew's Church, Manly (with Wright and Apperly) and converted a two-storey house at Rushcutters Bay into St Luke's Hospital. He was also a founder and councilor of Cranbrook School, altering the house after its use as the residence of the State governor in 1901-15, designing new buildings and landscaping its grounds. Clamp and (C. H.) Finch were the architects between 1927 and 1930 of Tattersall's Club, Castlereagh Street, the Buckland Memorial Church of England Boys' Home, Carlingford, Canberra Grammar School and the Ainslie Hotel in Canberra. Early in 1930 Clamp's son John replaced Finch.

An active and outspoken member of the local Institute of Architects, Clamp urged the federation of the separate State bodies and in 1907 had strongly backed the admission of Florence Parsons as an associate. He had a forthright but tactful manner, self-reliance and boundless energy. He was a member of the Town Planning Association of New South Wales, the Martin Place extension committee and of Tattersall's, the Millions and the National clubs. Fortunate to practice during two boom periods in 1901-14 and 1920–28, Clamp provided a bridge between the nineteenth-century romantic and twentieth-century functionalist styles, presenting an originality of design which combined character with sound commercial possibilities.

Burcham Clamp died of acute broncho-pneumonia on 7 July 1931 at Cremorne home and was buried in the Anglican section of South Head Cemetery. [1]

Personal life

On 22 June 1893 John Burcham Clamp married Susie Young at Auburn; They later lived at Cremorne and around 1914 they moved to Greenoaks Avenue, Darling Point. They had a son and three daughters. [1]

Partial list of works

The following buildings designed either in part or in full by Burcham Clamp:

Buildings designed either in part or in full by Burcham Clamp
Building nameImageLocationYear
completed
Award(s)Heritage register(s)Notes
St James' Hall St James' Grammar School (Hall).jpg Phillip Street, Sydney CBD 1903Demolished in 1961
Victoria Hall
(Part of St Matthew's Church, Manly)
Corner of Darley Road and The Corso, Manly 1901Demolished in 1928 [2] [3]
Lister Private Hospital and Nurses' Home Darlinghurst c.1910Demolished in c.1925 [4]
Wyoming Chambers175-181 Macquarie Street, Sydney CBD1909Local government heritage register [5]
Castlereagh Chambers64-68 Castlereagh Street, Sydney CBD1914 [6]
Farmer's & Co building (former)
Corner of Pitt and Market Streets, Sydney CBD1910 [7]
Sydney Church of England Grammar School Chapel North Sydney
St Matthew's Church
(with Wright and Apperly)
Manly
Sydney Tattersall's Club
(with Finch)
Between Castlereagh and Elizabeth Streets,
Sydney CBD
Canberra Grammar School
(with C. H. Finch)
Canberra
Ainslie Hotel
(with C. H. Finch)
Canberra
Richard Johnson Obelisk
(with C. H. Finch)
Corner of Hunter, Bligh and Castlereagh Streets,
Sydney CBD

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Burley Griffin</span> American architect and landscape architect (1876–1937)

Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect. He designed Canberra, Australia's capital city, the New South Wales towns of Griffith and Leeton, and the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverley Cemetery</span> Cemetery in New South Wales, Australia

The Waverley Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins and P. Beddie, the cemetery is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. It is regularly cited as being one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson. Also known as General Cemetery Waverley, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 28 October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cremorne, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cremorne is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, located 6 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St Andrew's Cathedral is a cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales. The position of Dean of Sydney has been held by the Very Reverend Sandy Grant since 9 December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Mary Taylor</span> Australian architect, publisher (1879–1969)

Florence Mary Taylor was the first qualified female architect in Australia. She was also the first woman in Australia to fly in a heavier-than-air craft in 1909 and the first female member of the UK's Institution of Structural Engineers in 1926. However, she is best known for her role as publisher, editor and writer for the influential building industry trade journals established in 1907 with her husband George, which she ran and expanded after his death in 1928 until her retirement in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Rowe</span> Australian politician

Thomas Rowe was a British-born architect, builder and goldminer who became one of Australia's leading architects of the Victorian era. He was also a politician, who was the first Mayor of Manly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church St Laurence</span> Church in City of Sydney. New South Wales, Australia

Christ Church St Laurence is an Anglican church located at 814 George Street, near Central railway station and Haymarket, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the principal centre of Anglo-Catholic worship in the city and Diocese of Sydney, where the Anglicanism is predominantly Evangelical in character. Anglo-Catholicism is manifested at Christ Church St Laurence by an emphasis on the sacraments, ritual, music and social action, all of which have been prominent features of Anglo-Catholicism since the 19th century.

Australian non-residential architectural styles are a set of Australian architectural styles that apply to buildings used for purposes other than residence and have been around only since the first colonial government buildings of early European settlement of Australia in 1788.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Souls Anglican Church, Leichhardt</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

All Souls is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Sydney. The church is located in the corner of Norton and Marion Streets, Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia.

Alexander Stewart Jolly (1887–1957) was a Sydney-based architect, published poet and children's author in the early 20th century. His buildings are primarily in Sydney's northern suburbs and the north coast of New South Wales. His architectural work was strongly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s School in Chicago, as well as the Arts and Crafts movement of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St Peter's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral with heritage-listed building and grounds at 122 Rusden Street, Armidale, Armidale Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale. and the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Armidale. The cathedral was designed by John Horbury Hunt and Bishop James Francis Turner and built from 1871 to 1938. It is also known as the Anglican Cathedral Church of St Peter Apostle and Martyr. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 12 March 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

Christ Church Cathedral is a heritage-listed Anglican cathedral complex at Duke Street, Grafton, Clarence Valley Council, New South Wales, Australia. The cathedral was designed by John Horbury Hunt and built from 1874 to 1884 by Reynold Brothers (brickwork) and G. J. T. Lawson (woodwork). It is also known as Cathedral Church of Christ the King and Grafton Anglican Cathedral. The property is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Grafton. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 March 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Michael's Anglican Church, Surry Hills</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

Vine Church is a vibrant inner-city church known for its warm community life, making it a great place to explore your doubts about God, Jesus, the Bible, and the meaning of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John H. Buckeridge</span> English-born Australian architect

John H. Buckeridge (1857–1934) was an English-born Australian architect, who built about sixty churches in Queensland and is also remembered for remodelling the interior of the Macquarie era church of St James', King Street, Sydney.

Henry Austin Wilshire was an architect and prominent member of Sydney society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was an active and innovative architect, and a contributor to the community through interests in town planning and transport issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tusculum, Potts Point</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Tusculum is a heritage-listed former residence and now offices at 1–3 Manning Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of Potts Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1831 to 1837 to the design of John Verge for successful businessman Alexander Brodie Spark. It was then let to influential cleric William Broughton, the first and only Anglican Bishop of Australia and later inaugural Bishop of Sydney, from 1836 to 1851. It is owned today by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawson House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Lawson House is a heritage-listed warehouse, auction house and offices located at 212–218 Cumberland Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Burcham Clamp and built during 1924 by Burcham Clamp and Finch. It is also known as Cadbury-Fry Building and Lawson Menzies Building. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sydney Club</span> Heritage-listed building in Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Club is a heritage-listed club premises at 122 Pitt Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Mansfield Brothers and built from 1886 to 1887 by A & A Scott. It is also known as Million House. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Newton Kenworthy</span> English-born Australian architect

George Newton Kenworthy FRAIA, also known as G. N. Kenworthy or "Kennie", was a leading Sydney architect and Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects best associated for his work in partnership with Henry Eli White and for his building designs in the Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, Functionalist and Spanish Mission styles.

John Frederick Hilly was a surveyor and architect who designed commercial buildings, churches and houses in mid-nineteenth-century Sydney. He was born in Warwickshire and arrived in Australia in 1839. On 8 January 1842 Hilly married Ellen Morgan at Christ Church St Laurence in Sydney. Hilly Street in Mortlake, New South Wales, is named in his honour. Works attributed to Hilly include:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Reynolds, Peter (1981). "Clamp, John Burcham (1869–1931)". Australian Dictionary of Biography . Vol. 8. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN   1833-7538 . Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. "Opening of Victoria Hall, Manly". Sydney Morning Herald . 3 July 1901. Retrieved 23 March 2019 via Trove: National Library of Australia.
  3. Morcombe, John (15 October 2015). "Plenty of changes to holy land in Manly". Manly Daily . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. "Rosebank (Clapton Place and Farrell Avenue) Heritage Conservation Area". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  5. "Commercial Chambers "Wyoming" Including Interiors". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  6. "Castlereagh Street Heritage Walk". Visit Sydney Australia. 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  7. "Central Pitt Street". The Dictionary of Sydney. 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2019.