William G. Bennett
Encyclopedia
William Garnsworthy Bennett (1896-1977) was a Western Australian architect
, well known for his Art Deco
and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings, including the Lord Forrest Olympic Pool in Kalgoorlie, the Beverley Town Hall, the Raffles Hotel
and Plaza Theatre
and Arcade in Perth.
Bennett was born in Victoria in 1896, and came to Western Australia with his family in 1910. He studied architectural drafting at Perth Technical School
and joined the Young Australia League
. In 1920, he was articled to architect F. J. Coote and, four years later, became the first locally trained architect to pass the Architect’s Board of Examination. He was awarded the first Bronze Medal of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA) the following year, and served as the Institute’s secretary from 1924-29. In 1931, he became the first West Australian architect to become an Associate (Overseas) Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects
. Bennett was the first West Australian to hold the positions of president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and president of the Royal Australian Planning Institute.
Before setting up practice on his own in 1936, William Bennett was in charge of the drawing office at Eales and Cohen, where he worked with art deco theatre designer, William T. Leighton
. Among the work that passed through William Bennett’s office in the late 1930s were: the Dalkeith
and Nedlands
tennis clubs; Lord Forrest Olympic Pool, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
; infant health centres at Dalkeith, Manjimup
and Nedlands; the Scarborough, Ocean Beach, Majestic and Raffles hotels
in Perth, Checkers Hotel Bullsbrook
, and hotels in Beverley
and Sawyers Valley
; Plaza Theatre
and Arcade in the Hay Street
Mall, and the Regal Theatre
in Subiaco with William Leighton; Applecross
town hall, the Masonic Temple, Nedlands; the Young Australia League headquarters building in Murray Street
, a number of private houses in suburbs such as Dalkeith, Cottesloe and South Perth; and over a dozen buildings and structures at Araluen. Bennett was also responsible for the refurbishment of Bunbury
’s Rose Hotel, the Mount Barker
Hotel, and Perth Motor House with Powell, Cameron and Chisholm.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, well known for his Art Deco
Australian architectural styles
Australian architectural styles, like the revivalist trends which dominated Europe for centuries, have been primarily derivative.-Background:...
and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings, including the Lord Forrest Olympic Pool in Kalgoorlie, the Beverley Town Hall, the Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel, Perth
Raffles Hotel is located at the corner of Canning Highway and Canning Beach Road in the Perth suburb of Applecross, Western Australia. It is a two-storey hotel designed in the Inter-War Functionalist style and is one of the few examples of a hotel in this style surviving in the Perth metropolitan...
and Plaza Theatre
Plaza Theatre (Perth)
The former Plaza Theatre is located at 650-658 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It was the first purpose-designed Art Deco cinema in Perth. The Plaza Theatre opened in 1937 and was built for Hoyts Theatres Ltd.-History:...
and Arcade in Perth.
Bennett was born in Victoria in 1896, and came to Western Australia with his family in 1910. He studied architectural drafting at Perth Technical School
Old Perth Technical School
The 1910 Perth Technical School is located at 137 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, adjacent to the Old Perth Boys School building....
and joined the Young Australia League
Young Australia League
The Young Australia League is an Australian youth organisation which was formed in Perth, Western Australia in 1905 by Jack Simons and Lionel Boas...
. In 1920, he was articled to architect F. J. Coote and, four years later, became the first locally trained architect to pass the Architect’s Board of Examination. He was awarded the first Bronze Medal of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA) the following year, and served as the Institute’s secretary from 1924-29. In 1931, he became the first West Australian architect to become an Associate (Overseas) Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
. Bennett was the first West Australian to hold the positions of president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and president of the Royal Australian Planning Institute.
Before setting up practice on his own in 1936, William Bennett was in charge of the drawing office at Eales and Cohen, where he worked with art deco theatre designer, William T. Leighton
William T. Leighton
William Thomas Leighton was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings....
. Among the work that passed through William Bennett’s office in the late 1930s were: the Dalkeith
Dalkeith, Western Australia
Dalkeith is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Nedlands. The suburb is surrounded on three sides by the Swan River and is home to some of Perth's finest mansions. The suburb takes its name from a cottage built in 1833 by Captain Adam Armstrong and his sons, early...
and Nedlands
Nedlands, Western Australia
The City of Nedlands is a Local Government Area in the inner western suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about west of Perth's central business district...
tennis clubs; Lord Forrest Olympic Pool, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
; infant health centres at Dalkeith, Manjimup
Manjimup, Western Australia
Manjimup is a town in Western Australia, south of the state capital, Perth. The town of Manjimup is a regional centre for the largest shire in the South West of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Manjimup had a population of 4,239.-History:...
and Nedlands; the Scarborough, Ocean Beach, Majestic and Raffles hotels
Raffles Hotel, Perth
Raffles Hotel is located at the corner of Canning Highway and Canning Beach Road in the Perth suburb of Applecross, Western Australia. It is a two-storey hotel designed in the Inter-War Functionalist style and is one of the few examples of a hotel in this style surviving in the Perth metropolitan...
in Perth, Checkers Hotel Bullsbrook
Bullsbrook, Western Australia
Bullsbrook is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia in the outer metropolitan area. It is located with the City of Swan. The original Bullsbrook townsite is located slightly west of the current town, on the 17 km mark of the Midland Railway...
, and hotels in Beverley
Beverley, Western Australia
Beverley is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York and Brookton on the Great Southern Highway...
and Sawyers Valley
Sawyers Valley, Western Australia
Sawyers Valley is sited on the Great Eastern Highway about 40 kilometres from Perth, Western Australia in the Shire of Mundaring.The community began as a sawmill and railway siding to process timber from the forest surrounding the Helena River to the south...
; Plaza Theatre
Plaza Theatre (Perth)
The former Plaza Theatre is located at 650-658 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It was the first purpose-designed Art Deco cinema in Perth. The Plaza Theatre opened in 1937 and was built for Hoyts Theatres Ltd.-History:...
and Arcade in the Hay Street
Hay Street, Perth
Hay Street is a major road through the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary for Colonies. Sections of the road were called Howick Street and Twiss Street until 1897...
Mall, and the Regal Theatre
Regal Theatre
The Regal Theatre is a theatre located in the suburb of Subiaco in Perth, Western Australia.The theatre was named for King George VI who, at the time, had taken up the throne....
in Subiaco with William Leighton; Applecross
Applecross, Western Australia
Applecross is an affluent riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia, bounded by Canning Highway and the Swan River. It is located within the City of Melville.Like the name Perth, the suburb of Applecross borrows its name from the region in Scotland...
town hall, the Masonic Temple, Nedlands; the Young Australia League headquarters building in Murray Street
Murray Street, Perth
Murray Street is one of four main east-west roads within the Perth central business district.The street, the central portion of which has become a pedestrian mall, was named after Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from 1828 to 1830.It is the one main road in Perth that...
, a number of private houses in suburbs such as Dalkeith, Cottesloe and South Perth; and over a dozen buildings and structures at Araluen. Bennett was also responsible for the refurbishment of Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
’s Rose Hotel, the Mount Barker
Mount Barker, Western Australia
Mount Barker is a town on the Albany Highway and is the administrative centre of the Shire of Plantagenet in the Great Southern region of Western Australia...
Hotel, and Perth Motor House with Powell, Cameron and Chisholm.
Sources
- Geneve, Vyonne ‘Artist of the Month: William G Bennett’, Art Deco Society of WA Newsletter, Vol. 5 No. 4 July/Aug, 1992, pp. 10-11.
- William G. Bennett, architect : Articles and notes volume 5, number, December 1992-January 1993, p. 11
Notable buildings
- Applecross District Hall
- Raffles Hotel, PerthRaffles Hotel, PerthRaffles Hotel is located at the corner of Canning Highway and Canning Beach Road in the Perth suburb of Applecross, Western Australia. It is a two-storey hotel designed in the Inter-War Functionalist style and is one of the few examples of a hotel in this style surviving in the Perth metropolitan...
- Regal TheatreRegal TheatreThe Regal Theatre is a theatre located in the suburb of Subiaco in Perth, Western Australia.The theatre was named for King George VI who, at the time, had taken up the throne....
, Subiaco - Plaza TheatrePlaza Theatre (Perth)The former Plaza Theatre is located at 650-658 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It was the first purpose-designed Art Deco cinema in Perth. The Plaza Theatre opened in 1937 and was built for Hoyts Theatres Ltd.-History:...
and Arcade