Ian Stapleton (architect)

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Ian Stapleton
Born(1951-03-23)23 March 1951
Cudal, Australia
Died11 June 2023(2023-06-11) (aged 72)
Sydney, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation Architect

Ian Stapleton was an Australian heritage architect and a partner at Lucas, Stapleton, Johnson and Partners. a heritage architectural firm in Australia. [1] [2] [3] Stapleton carried out and contributed to heritage projects throughout Australia, including the Finger Wharf, Walsh Bay, Sydney General Post Office and officials’ houses at Port Arthur, Tasmania.

Contents

He was also active in the National Trust of Australia, the NSW Heritage Council and Australia ICOMOS. Stapleton also published works on Australian architectural styles and was a visiting lecturer at various Sydney schools of architecture and building. His 2013 renovation of the childhood home of Don Bradman won a New South Wales National Trust heritage award. [4]

Early years

Stapleton was the younger son of farmers at Cudal. He began his education at Cudal Central School, where his mother was an Infants teacher. Later he was dux of his year (1969) at Wolaroi College, Orange, and studied Architecture at the University of Sydney (1970-1975), whilst living at Wesley College, University of Sydney. [5]

Career

Stapleton was first employed as an architectural cadet for the New South Wales Public Works Department. He worked in the Special Projects Section of the NSW Government Architect’s Branch.

In 1977 he took a job with Fisher Lucas, a partnership of Clive Lucas & Fisher Hudson, Sydney Architects. He planned the restoration and rejuvenation of thirteen terrace houses in the Woolloomooloo urban regeneration project; the restoration of Glenlee, Menangle, for the MacArthur Development Board; Willandra, Ryde for the Ryde City Council and Bronte House [6] for Waverley Council. In the early 1980s, with his partner, Maisy Stapleton, he published a series of articles in the Sydney Morning Herald on building restoration and Australian house styles. As part of his work, Stapleton conducted research on the history of buildings. [7]

By the late 1980s and early 1990s Stapleton had joined a number of institutional and government heritage committees; he was president of Australia ICOMOS from 1992 to 1994, and worked on the organization's Burra Charter, which focused on the continuing use of historic places.

From the early 1990s, Stapleton took part in two large Sydney heritage conservation projects: the Finger Wharf and the Sydney General Post Office. [8] The Finger Wharf was converted to hotel and apartment use. The commercial use of what had been public space was subject to criticism in the press. [9]

Stapleton designed the restoration of the old buildings of the Sydney General Post Office, which were strengthened for earthquake and converted to hotel, function and retail uses, whilst maintaining the historic content and providing a new post office on George Street. [10] In association with the Buchan Group, Melbourne, he helped to create a large roofed urban space in the buildings’ courtyard.

Other selected restorations

Publications

Awards

Stapleton's work won many Australian Institute of Architects’ merit awards and the Adrian Ashton Award for Architectural Journalism. His firm also won several National Trust Award. [18]

References

  1. ↑ Vale Ian Stapleton Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  2. ↑ Bertha McKenzie (1 January 1989). Stained glass and stone: the gothic buildings of the University of Sydney. University of Sydney. p. 120. ISBN   978-0-86758-295-6.
  3. ↑ Heritage Buildings: Updating Wilkinson's Vision University of Sydney 22 September 2006
  4. ↑ Bradman's childhood Bowral house restored ABC News 28 May 2013
  5. ↑ Ian Stapleton Fr 1970 Wesley College
  6. ↑ Repairs to Bronte House will secure the historic homestead for another 170 years Wentworth Courier 6 January 2015
  7. ↑ Butchers beware Sydney Morning Herald 28 May 2005
  8. ↑ GPO: A landmark returns Sydney Morning Herald 1 September 1999 page 6
  9. ↑ Greed gobbles up harbour's delights" and "Pointing the finger Sydney Morning Herald 18 August 2000 page 13
  10. ↑ “He Saw the Bricks Come Tumbling Down, Went on to Save a City”, The Wesleyan, Wesley College Foundation Annual Report and Journal, 2013, p. 44
  11. ↑ How Don Bradman’s childhood home at 52 Shepherd Street Bowral was saved The Australian 26 March 2016
  12. ↑ “The architect who turns back time” Archived 2 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine , Highlife Magazine, August–September 2014, p.106
  13. ↑ Jennifer Taylor (1986). Australian architecture since 1960. Law Book Co. p. 247. ISBN   978-0-455-20351-5.
  14. ↑ Original Thinking The Age 27 May 1996 page 22
  15. ↑ The Bulletin. J. Haynes and J.F. Archibald. 1991. p. 104.
  16. ↑ Cintra - House, Garden and Stables Office of Environment & Heritage
  17. ↑ Researching the history of your house City of Moreland
  18. ↑ Historic University of Sydney building recognised by National Trust of Australia Architecture & Design 30 April 2012
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