John Lee Archer
Encyclopedia
John Lee Archer architect and engineer, was born in Ireland
and emigrated to Tasmania
in 1827.
The first records show that Archer, at the age of 18, was taught under the guidance of Charles Beazley, an architect based in London. Commencing in April 1809, Archer remained under Beazley’s instruction for the duration of his three year term of articles before moving on to the office of John Rennie in April 1813 in the position of drawing clerk. Rennie, often referred to as “The Bridge Builder” offered a stable base for Archer to advance his skills in engineering and design. When Archer’s employment with Rennie was terminated in 1818, he returned to Ireland and worked as an engineer for over 8 years, building his reputation. Following his father’s death in 1822 and the ongoing strain of the economic depression of the time, Archer sought to find employment elsewhere. His opportunity came in December 1826 when John Rennie’s son recommended Archer for the position of Colonial Architect in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) as the need arose for the development of public buildings and offices to accommodate the growing convict and free-settler population of Van Diemen’s Land.
Upon arrival in Hobart Town on 2 August 1827, Archer immediately commenced work in the role of Civil Engineer and Architect for the colony. Alongside the high demand for prisons and other buildings of a convict nature, the rise in free settlers due to the ongoing depression called for the development of other public works to accommodate the needs of colonial life, such as police offices, public offices, military barracks and churches. For the majority of the 11 years that John Lee Archer served as Civil Engineer and Colonial Architect, he was responsible for all government commissioned buildings, many still notable today.
Archer married Sophia Mattinson of Hobart on 3 September 1833 and the pair established a home in New Town with their many children.
Due to a temporary decline in colonial revenue Archer was retrenched in 1838 but was never reinstated in his role. As others moved in to take over his responsibilities in his absence, Archer became isolated from his profession at the age of 47 with little hope of local employment opportunities. In October of the same year Archer took the position of police magistrate for the district of Horton and stayed with this role for the remainder of his life. John Lee Archer died at the age of 61 on 4 December 1852, and is buried at Circular Head.
Old Hobart Gaol, 1829
Parliament House, 1835–38
(now Tasmania) experienced an influx of close to 2000 new convicts, making the total over 10,000. Hobart Town, originally established as a gaol town, was most affected by this population growth. To cope with the increase, penitentiaries were constructed all over the state. In 1829 John Lee Archer was commissioned to design a chapel for the existing Prisoner’s Barracks Penitentiary. The chapel was designed to also act as an extension to the already overflowing Barracks. Cruciform in shape, the Chapel arms enclosed exercise yards that could hold 500 prisoners on bench seats. Archer was also instructed to construct a cell block beneath the Chapel floor to house prisoners in solitary confinement. To support the inclined floors of the Chapel above, the cells have varying ceiling heights. Other features of the cells include no ventilation and no sunlight.
Part of the design for the Chapel layout included opening up the northern wing to cope with the overflow of people from the nearby St. David’s Church. As a result of this Archer was free to design the tower for the Brisbane Street entrance to the Chapel. The tower has trappings of Renaissance Greek Temples and derived inspiration from the English architect Christopher Wren.
The tower of the Chapel has a floor level that is 5 meters above street level to make room for the solitary confinement cells. This allowed an inclusion of a spiralling staircase that ran within the tower.
The Chapel suffered from time and budget delays and was not in full use until 1833. It was used by the public until 1845 when it was decommissioned and used by police offices, convicts, and their families.
Penitentiary Chapel, 1831-4
Bridges and harbour work:
Religious:
Civil:
Dwellings:
Gaols:
Hospitals:
Lighthouses:
Others:
Schools:
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and emigrated to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
in 1827.
Personal life
John Lee Archer, born 26 April 1791 near Thurles, Ireland, was an important factor in the development of the townships of Tasmania during early settlement. The only son of engineer John Archer and Charlotte Lee of Kent, John Lee Archer spent much of his life working in the fields of engineering and architecture both in Ireland and Australia.The first records show that Archer, at the age of 18, was taught under the guidance of Charles Beazley, an architect based in London. Commencing in April 1809, Archer remained under Beazley’s instruction for the duration of his three year term of articles before moving on to the office of John Rennie in April 1813 in the position of drawing clerk. Rennie, often referred to as “The Bridge Builder” offered a stable base for Archer to advance his skills in engineering and design. When Archer’s employment with Rennie was terminated in 1818, he returned to Ireland and worked as an engineer for over 8 years, building his reputation. Following his father’s death in 1822 and the ongoing strain of the economic depression of the time, Archer sought to find employment elsewhere. His opportunity came in December 1826 when John Rennie’s son recommended Archer for the position of Colonial Architect in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) as the need arose for the development of public buildings and offices to accommodate the growing convict and free-settler population of Van Diemen’s Land.
Upon arrival in Hobart Town on 2 August 1827, Archer immediately commenced work in the role of Civil Engineer and Architect for the colony. Alongside the high demand for prisons and other buildings of a convict nature, the rise in free settlers due to the ongoing depression called for the development of other public works to accommodate the needs of colonial life, such as police offices, public offices, military barracks and churches. For the majority of the 11 years that John Lee Archer served as Civil Engineer and Colonial Architect, he was responsible for all government commissioned buildings, many still notable today.
Archer married Sophia Mattinson of Hobart on 3 September 1833 and the pair established a home in New Town with their many children.
Due to a temporary decline in colonial revenue Archer was retrenched in 1838 but was never reinstated in his role. As others moved in to take over his responsibilities in his absence, Archer became isolated from his profession at the age of 47 with little hope of local employment opportunities. In October of the same year Archer took the position of police magistrate for the district of Horton and stayed with this role for the remainder of his life. John Lee Archer died at the age of 61 on 4 December 1852, and is buried at Circular Head.
Old Hobart Gaol, 1829
Parliament House, Hobart
Tasmanian Parliament House is one of John Lee Archer’s most notable projects. Its location on the waterfront of Sullivans Cove was seen as ideal for Hobart’s new Customs House (which is what it was known as up until 1904). Designed in 1835, construction was completed in 1838 with the majority of labor being carried out by convicts. The Customs Department opened in September 1840 while the first session of Parliament occurred on 19 June 1841. Honey colored sandstone quarried from Salamanca place was used to construct the distinctly ‘Colonial Georgian’ style building. Parliament House is one of the clearest examples of how Archer designed his work to have a sense of strength and permanence. The entrance hall is fitted with large Doric columns aimed at creating a significant threshold whilst the rusticated masonry and deeply shadowed arches accentuate the boldness of the building and it’s clean, clear lines. The Old Market Building once screened off the façade, but over its 120 years of existence and further land reclamation, flanking trees, flowerbeds and sweeping lawns, now surround it. Whilst significant renovations to the interior have taken place, and the slate roof was removed and replaced with tiles, the façade still remains today almost exactly how it was first constructed. Unlike a lot of Archer’s penal projects, which have since been demolished, Parliament House is still occupied today by the Parliament of Tasmania. For this reason alone it is one of, if not the most significant project of Archer’s entire career.Parliament House, 1835–38
Penitentiary Chapel
In the 1830s, Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(now Tasmania) experienced an influx of close to 2000 new convicts, making the total over 10,000. Hobart Town, originally established as a gaol town, was most affected by this population growth. To cope with the increase, penitentiaries were constructed all over the state. In 1829 John Lee Archer was commissioned to design a chapel for the existing Prisoner’s Barracks Penitentiary. The chapel was designed to also act as an extension to the already overflowing Barracks. Cruciform in shape, the Chapel arms enclosed exercise yards that could hold 500 prisoners on bench seats. Archer was also instructed to construct a cell block beneath the Chapel floor to house prisoners in solitary confinement. To support the inclined floors of the Chapel above, the cells have varying ceiling heights. Other features of the cells include no ventilation and no sunlight.
Part of the design for the Chapel layout included opening up the northern wing to cope with the overflow of people from the nearby St. David’s Church. As a result of this Archer was free to design the tower for the Brisbane Street entrance to the Chapel. The tower has trappings of Renaissance Greek Temples and derived inspiration from the English architect Christopher Wren.
The tower of the Chapel has a floor level that is 5 meters above street level to make room for the solitary confinement cells. This allowed an inclusion of a spiralling staircase that ran within the tower.
The Chapel suffered from time and budget delays and was not in full use until 1833. It was used by the public until 1845 when it was decommissioned and used by police offices, convicts, and their families.
Penitentiary Chapel, 1831-4
List of works
Military:- Anglesea Barracks, including Canteen Building 1831-4, Drill Hall 1828, Subalterns' Quarters 1828
- Ordnance Stores, Hobart 1829
- Powder Magazine 1828
- Richmond Barracks 1833-4.
Bridges and harbour work:
- Argyle Street Bridge 1836
- Bridgewater Causeway 1835
- Harrington Street Bridge 1831
- Hobart Rivulet realigned 1828
- Jordan River Bridge, repaired 1835
- Richmond Bridge, repaired 1826-35
- Ross Bridge 1831-6
- Entally Chapel, Hadspen 1835
- Sullivans Cove improvements 1830.
Religious:
- Jericho Church 1834
- Norfolk Plains Chapel 1829-32
- St David's Church, Hobart (new tower) 1828
- St George's Church, Battery Point 1836-8
- St John's Church, New Town 1830-3
- St John's Church, Ross 1838
- St Luke's Church, Bothwell 1828-9
- St Luke's Church, Campbell Town 1836
- St Luke's Church, Richmond 1834-6
- St Paul's Church, Stanley 1843-4
- St Peter's Church, Hamilton 1834
- Trinity or Penitentiary Chapel, Hobart 1831-4
- Westbury Church 1836.
Civil:
- Court House Hobart, extended 1835
- Court House, Launceston 1837
- Court House & Police Offices, New Norfolk 1831
- Custom House, Hobart 1835-41
- Custom House, Launceston 1836
- Government House, Hobart alterations and repairs
- Offices & Treasures Room, Hobart 1829
- Police Offices, Murray Street, Hobart 1833-35
- Public Offices, Murray Street, Hobart 1837-40.
Dwellings:
- Chaplain's Cottage, Maria Island 1827
- Commandant's House, Maria Island 1829
- Gaoler's House, Richmond 1832
- 'Highfield', Stanley 1843
- 'Jutland', New Town, (Archer's own house) 1831
- Parsonage, Hobart, 1837
- Parsonage, St John's Parish, New Town 1835
- Store Keeper's Residence, Circular Head 1851.
Gaols:
- Factory, Maria Island 1829
- Female Factory, Cascades 1827
- Female House of Correction, Launceston, 1832
- Hobart Gaol, 1829
- Lock-up Houses, New Norfolk 1830
- Oatlands Gaol, 1834
- Richmond Gaol, 1832-5.
Hospitals:
- Hamilton 1836
- Norfolk Plains 1836
- Oatlands 1836.
Lighthouses:
- Cape Bruny LighthouseCape Bruny LighthouseCape Bruny Lighthouse at the southern tip of Bruny Island, Tasmania, is the second oldest extant lighthouse tower in Australia, as well as having the longest history of being continuously manned. Construction began in April 1836, it was first lit in March 1838, and was eventually decommissioned...
1835-8 - Low Head LighthouseLow Head LighthouseLow Head Lighthouse is located in Low Head, Tasmania, about north of George Town on the east side of the mouth of the Tamar River. It was the third lighthouse to be constructed in Australia, and it is also Australia's oldest continuously used pilot station...
1833-8
Others:
- Dairy 'Highfield' for the Van Diemen's Land Company 1842
- Hot House, Domain Garden, Hobart 1829
- Store House, for the Van Diemen's Land Company 1843.
Schools:
- Infant School, Hobart 1833
- National Day School, Hobart 1835
- Orphan Schools, Hobart 1830
- Parsonage House, Hobart converted to school 1837
- Public School, New Norfolk 1828
- Richmond School House, 1834-5.
See also
- John Rennie the Elder
- Charles BeazleyCharles BeazleyCharles Nightingale Beazley , FRIBA was a British architect. His work spans the period 1853-1897.-Career:Beazley was articled to William Wardell in 1853 and was an RIBA student 1854-56. In 1856-58 he was an assistant to G.E. Street, who was the diocesan architect for the Church of England Diocese...
- Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
- Circular HeadCircular HeadThe Circular Head Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. It covers the far north-west corner of the state mainland.The major centres of the municipality are Smithton, on the north coast; Stanley, east of Smithton; and Marrawah on the west coast...