Harry Kent – Architect | |
---|---|
Born | 1852 |
Died | 1938 Sydney, Australia |
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation | Architect |
Practice | Harry C. Kent (1882–1899) Kent & Budden (1899–1912) Kent Budden & Greenwell (1912–19) Kent & Massie (1919–1930) |
Buildings | State Heritage Register: Former CBC Bank (Cnr George & Barrack Streets Sydney) built between 1921–25 Extensions to Mariners Church in 1927 (98–100 George Street Sydney) |
Harry Chambers Kent (1852–1938) was an English-born Australian architect. He was Sydney-based during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a leader of his profession as President of the Institute of Architects of NSW (1906–07). [1] During his career he was associated with the design of over 670 buildings. [2] Many of his designs are heritage listed and two are on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
Kent was born in Devonshire, England, the son of the Rev. Samuel Chambers Kent and his wife Emily Deacon. A year after his birth, the Kent family emigrated to Australia and the Reverend Kent was appointed Principal of the Camden College in Newtown, Sydney. Harry Kent was educated at Camden College [3] and the University of Sydney where he graduated with a Master of Arts in 1875. [4] Before his graduation Kent was articled to James Barnet, the New South Wales Colonial Architect, and in 1873 to John Horbury Hunt. [2]
Kent and his extended family were all active Congregationalists at a time when that Christian denomination was very influential in the upper middle classes of Sydney society and business. Much of his firm's work came from the church and members of its parishes. Despite his father leaving the church in 1879 for the Anglican Church of Australia, Kent maintained a lifelong dedication to the Congregational church.
Kent was for many years a resident of Strathfield, and designed a number of buildings in the district. These include:
Kent served as an Alderman on Strathfield Council from 1903 until 1905. He designed and built Kelmswood, at 88–94 Redmyre Road in 1893 as his private residence, on the corner of Redmyre Road and Florence Street. Around 1916, Kent moved across the road to 86 Redmyre Road, and called the new house Kelmswood. [8] Kent's original house is now called Woodstock and has been converted to apartments. [9]
In 1886, Kent married Mary Louisa Elbury Jefferis, the daughter of the Reverend James Jefferis of the Pitt Street Congregational Church and Mary Louisa Elbury. They had two daughters, Gladys and Louise (Lulu), and a son, Geoffrey. [2] His brother-in-law Harry Jefferis was articled to him and went on the practice architecture in Western Australia. [10]
When Kent was unable to find employment after graduation from university, he sought advice from John Fairfax. With a recommendation from Fairfax, Kent managed to secure work with master builder John Young. During this time he worked on the construction of the Department of Lands Building, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney and the Garden Palace that was built for the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879. He went into private practice in 1882 and his first commission was the design of Eldon Chambers in Pitt Street, for Josiah Mullens. [2]
In 1886, Kent designed Caerleon in Bellevue Hill for the Fairfax family, only to have it redesigned by Maurice B. Adams in the Queen Anne style (this made it the first Queen Anne home in Australia). Accepting the inevitable changes, Kent agreed to supervise the construction of his made-over design, but was then outraged when Adams exhibited the design in London as his own work. [11]
In 1890, Kent designed the main school building at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney. [12] An important early residential design was Lincluden at 12 Fairfax Road, Bellevue Hill, for Sir Thomas Anderson Stuart. The home was constructed 1896–97 and is heritage-listed. [13] In 1895, Kent designed his first major warehouse. The Farmers & Graziers No. 1 Woolstore building is a 3 & 4-storey Federation style warehouse constructed of face brickwork with sandstone detailing and timber windows and doors. It has in recent years been converted into residential apartments. [14]
In 1899, Kent entered into partnership with his former student, Henry Budden and the firm became known as Kent & Budden. Buildings of this partnership include:
In 1913, Harry Kent and Henry Budden were joined in partnership by Carlyle Greenwell. Greenwell had served his articles with Kent & Budden and after attending Sydney Technical College and the University of Sydney he had completed a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. The partnership of Kent Budden & Greenwell was dissolved in 1919, having produced 150 buildings. Budden and Greenwell continued to work in partnership until 1922. [2] Buildings by Kent Budden & Greenwell include:
Kent and H H Masie became partners in 1919 and practiced together until Kent's retirement in 1930. Massie was a member of an influential banking, commercial and sporting family. Kent & Massie secured many commercial commissions including Bebarfalds, [20] later Woolworths on the corner of George and Park streets, Sydney. [2] Another of their buildings was Pilgrim House, in Pitt Street (1928). It is heritage-listed. [18]
Principal client for Kent and Massie was the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney. Kent & Massie designed the former CBC head office on corner of George and Barrack Streets, Sydney, now heritage-listed, [21] and a series of country banks in Newcastle [22] and Cessnock. [23]
Homebush is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield.
The Municipality of Strathfield is a local government area in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
Strathfield is an affluent suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A small section of the suburb north of the railway line lies within the City of Canada Bay, while the area east of The Boulevard lies within the Municipality of Burwood. North Strathfield and Strathfield South are separate suburbs to the north and south, respectively.
Strathfield railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Suburban line in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield in the Municipality of Strathfield local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The station is served by Sydney Trains' T1 North Shore & Western Line, T9 Northern Line, T2 Leppington & Inner West Line, T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line suburban services as well as NSW TrainLink Intercity and regional services. The station is located on the Main Northern and Main Western railway lines, forming a major junction for regional and suburban rail services. The station and associated infrastructure was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
North Strathfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Strathfield is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. Strathfield and Strathfield South are separate suburbs, to the south.
Flemington, officially gazetted as "Homebush West" since 1992, is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Flemington is located 13 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield, with a small unpopulated area in Cumberland Council.
Carlyle Greenwell was an Australian architect whose houses, designed in the first half of the 20th century, are often heritage-listed. He was also a philanthropist who made bequests to the University of Sydney funding research in Anthropology and Archaeology.
Henry "Harry" Ebenezer Budden was a Sulman Award winning Australian architect active in the first 40 years of the 20th century. His work encompassed the styles of the Federation Arts and Crafts and Bungalow through to the Inter-War Stripped Classical and Art Deco. He was a leader of his profession and in the wider community, serving as the first Australian War Chest Commissioner during World War I.
The Pitt Street Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church building located at 264 Pitt Street in the Sydney central business district, Australia. Founded in 1833, the congregation was the original church of Congregationalism in New South Wales. The church building was designed by John Bibb and built from 1841 to 1846. It is also known as Pitt Street Congregational Church. The property is owned by The Uniting Church in Australia and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Kent Budden & Greenwell was an Australian architectural practice working in Sydney from 1913 until 1919. The partners were Harry Kent, Henry Budden and Carlyle Greenwell.
Alfred Gambier Newman was an Australian architect active in the first 20 years of the 20th century. He designed significant work for both the Methodist Church and the Newman and Vickery families.
Stanley Noble Rickard was a New Britain-born Australian architect active in Sydney and Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th century. His work in the Federation Bungalow style is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.
Thomas Pollard Sampson was an Australian architect active in New South Wales during the first forty years of the 20th century. His work encompassed the styles of the Federation Arts and Crafts and Bungalow through to the Inter-War Styles. In 1912 he designed an octagonal roofed stadium at Rushcutters Bay that seated up to 12,000 spectators. At the time, the Sydney Stadium was said to be "the largest roofed-in structure in the world." In the 1920s and 1930s, as a golfer and member of Concord Golf Club and Pennant Hills Golf Club, he designed the clubhouses at both courses. The buildings of both these well known Sydney clubs are still in use in 2023.
The Trinity Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church located at 62 The Boulevarde, in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield in the Municipality of Burwood local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by George Sydney Jones & Harry Thompson and built from 1889 to 1890 by Thomas Hanley of Balmain. It is also known as Trinity Congregational Church. The property is owned by the Uniting Church in Australia. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 19 September 2003.
The Mariners' Church is a heritage-listed former church and seamen's mission and now nightclub, bar and restaurant located at 98–100 George 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 in various stages by J. Bibb, H. C. Kent and Kent & Massie and was built from 1856 to 1859. It is also known as Mission to Seamen; Rawson Institute for Seamen & Mariners' Church; Craft Centre. The property is owned by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002. The building was previously a cafe, place of worship and craft centre.
Wales House is a heritage-listed former newspaper office building, bank building and now hotel located at 64–66 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 Manson & Pickering and built from 1922 to 1929 by Stuart Bros. It is also known as the Bank of NSW Building. The property is owned by Wales House Nominees Pty Ltd. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. Located on the junction of Pitt, Hunter and O'Connell Streets, the building served as offices for John Fairfax and Sons' The Sydney Morning Herald from 1927 to 1955 before being acquired by the Bank of New South Wales, commonly known as "The Wales", hence the building's name. The building has subsequently been converted into an international hotel, as part of the Radisson Blu hotel chain.
Mount St Mary Campus of the Australian Catholic University is a major campus of the Australian Catholic University, located in Strathfield, Municipality of Strathfield, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
William Harry Jefferis was an Australian-born architect who practiced principally in Perth and later in Albany in Western Australia.
Joseph Alexander Kethel was an Australian architect notable for the many substantial private residences and pastoral homesteads he designed throughout New South Wales and the striking theatres, office buildings and Presbyterian Churches he designed in Sydney.
Alan Porter Nangle was an Australian architect active during the mid-20th century. He worked on many independent school campuses when he become a partner in architectural firms associated with his mentor Henry Budden.
Media related to Harry Kent at Wikimedia Commons