Thomas Pye (architect)

Thomas Pye (1861 – 1930) was an Australian architect. He worked for over 33 years in the Public Works Department in Queensland.[1] Pye contributed significantly to major buildings including the completion of the Public Offices (Treasury Building) and Rockhampton Customs House, as well as the design for the Lands and Survey Offices (Lands Administration Building).[2] He was responsible for the heightened expectations which produced the best public buildings yet seen in Queensland.[3]

Thomas Pye
Born1861
Lancashire, England
Died1930
South Africa
OccupationArchitect
Spouse(s)Emily Ruth Ivy
ChildrenJuanita Pye
Practice
Buildings

Early life

Thomas Pye was born in 1861 in Lancashire, England to Edward Pye, a farmer, and Ellen Newett.[4] After receiving “an excellent training” as an architect in England, Pye emigrated to the colonies in c.1882.[4] In 1883, Pye married Emily Ruth Ivy in September, while living in Mosman Bay, Sydney.[4] In 1884, Pye moved to Brisbane and joined the Queensland Public Works Department to take charge of the documentation of John James Clark’s design for the Brisbane Public Offices (Treasury Building).[1] After completion of the plans for the first stage of the Public Offices, Pye resigned from his public post at the end of May 1885.[4]

Clark and Pye
Imperial Hotel, 1885-1887

In 1885, Pye entered partnership with J.J. Clark’s brother George, having previously prepared the drawings for Clark’s Bros’ Brisbane Masonic Hall while employed in the offices of J.J. Clark.[5] He was involved in a number of projects while at the firm, most notably the Imperial Hotel in Brisbane.[5] Clark and Pye ended their partnership in early May 1886.[4]

Public Offices (Treasury Building), Brisbane
The Public Offices (Treasury Building) for which Pye prepared drawings between 1884-1890

In June 1886 Pye rejoined the Works Department to prepare drawings for the Public Offices.[4] Pye is associated with the preparation of the plans for the first and second sections of the Public Offices – those facing William Street and the Queen’s Gardens respectively.[1] This was only a temporary appointment until he was appointed as a permanent draftsman in December 1889.[1] During this time, Pye also engaged work with the tenderer for the project, Sydney contractors the Phippard Bros, in 1886 and 1887.[4] In 1890, the drawings for the Public Offices were completed.

Queensland Public Works Department

In 1892, A.B. Brady, the Engineer for Bridges, took charge of buildings as the Government Architect, and Pye was appointed Chief Draftsman.[3] In 1898, Pye was appointed First Assistant Architect. In February 1902, Pye became District Architect, Southern Division with responsibility for Government buildings south of Gympie. His equivalent for the Northern Division was John Smith Murdoch.[3] In 1904, John Smith Murdoch transferred to the Commonwealth. Consequently, Pye assumed responsibility for the whole of Queensland.[3] In September 1906, Pye was appointed deputy Government Architect and Acting Under Secretary and continued in that office until his retrenchment in August 1921.[3]

Other interests and military involvement

Pye was a military censor for about five months in 1914, and in September 1915, as a lieutenant-colonel, he was detailed to command Australian Imperial Forces reinforcements on transports.[1] He took keen interest in shooting and was a prominent member of local rifle clubs.[1] The lack of success in private practice may conceal a resumption of his previous role as a gun draftsman.[6]

Later life and death

After leaving the Works Department, Pye practiced privately in Brisbane.[3] An amateur artist, he was a member of the Queensland Authors’ and Artists’ Association and was a collector for the Queensland Museum.[3] In May 1929 Pye left Brisbane to travel overseas. In 1930, Pye died after catching black-water fever at the Victoria Falls, South Africa.[3] His daughter, Juanita Pye, was one of Queensland’s first female architects.[3]

Significant works
Land Administration Building, 1901-1905

Responsibility for individual projects during his employment at the Public Works Department is difficult to discern. The Lands and Survey Offices (Land Administration Building) are considered Pye’s masterpiece.[4] The significant stylistic and technical innovations used in the design of the Lands Offices such as the use of concrete and the Edwardian Baroque style make them almost a decade ahead of comparable Australian buildings.[4] Pye personally supervised the details, including the statuary.[7]

Woolloongabba Post Office (former), 1905
Brisbane General Post Office, Elizabeth Street additions, 1908
Wooloowin State School, 1914
Enoggera Memorial Hall and School of Arts,1925
Year completedStructure nameLocationNotes
1885Villa and Stable for W. Pickering (as Clark and Pye); (no longer exists)Lytton Road, East Brisbane[5]
1885Cottage (as Clark and Pye); (no longer exists)Remy Street, Petrie Bight
1885-1887Imperial Hotel (as Clark and Pye)70 George Street, Brisbane[8]
1889Relief Stonework Panels, Alice Street Wing, Parliament House69 Alice Street, Brisbane[9]
1897-1898Post Office, Warwick98 Palmerin Street, Warwick[3]
1898Department of Primary Industries Building William Street facade99 William Street, Brisbane[10]
1898-1899Queensland Stock Institute (also known as the Bacteriological Institute, or the Director of Boarding Residence, Brisbane Grammar School)College Road, Spring Hill[11][12]
1899Customs House Rockhampton (designed with G.D. Payne)208 Quay Street, Rockhampton[13]
1899-1900East Brisbane State School90 Wellington Road, East Brisbane[14]
1899-1900Post Office, Ipswich114 Brisbane Street, Ipswich[3]
1900Police Station, Warwick86 Fitzroy Street, Warwick
?1901Killarney Courthouse; (no longer exists)Killarney[15]
1901Naval Offices3 Edward St, Brisbane[16]
1901Decoration of Government Buildings in Brisbane
(Customs House, the Treasury Buildings, Geological Museum, Lands Office, Government Printing Office, and various others)		Primarily George, Queen and William Streets, Brisbane[17]
1901Stanthorpe Post Office14 Maryland St, Stanthorpe[18]
1901-1905Land Administration Building (formerly Executive Building)142 George Street, Brisbane[19]
1904Former North Ward Defence Complex additions (drill hall and administration offices)4-6 Oxley Street, North Ward[20]
1905Woolloongabba Post Office (former)765 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba[21]
?1906-1921
date unknown		“Tekowai” House for W.G. Chancellor; (no longer exists)Vulture Street, South Brisbane[22]
1908Brisbane General Post Office, Elizabeth Street additions280 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane[23]
1909Former Dispenser’s House, Diamantina HospitalCornwall Street, Woolloongabba[24]
1910Charters Towers Police Station (formerly Charters Towers Police Barracks)49 Gill Street, Charters Towers[25]
1910School Of Musketry (former)431 Lloyd St, Gallipoli Army Barracks, Enoggera[26]
1910Small Arms Magazine (former)Murray Av, Enoggera Barracks, Enoggera[27]
1911-1912Mackay Technical College (former)Alfred Street, Mackay[28]
1911-1915Brisbane Central Technical College (former)2 George Street, Brisbane[29]
1911-1915Enoggera Magazine ComplexInwood Rd, Enoggera Military Camp, Enoggera[30]
1913Remount Complex (former)Wynter Rd, Enoggera[31]
1914Wooloowin State School663 Lutwyche Road, Lutwyche[32]
1914‘A’ Block Central Queensland Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Rockhampton Campus
(formerly ‘A’ Block, Rockhampton State High School and Technical College)		Bolsover Street, Rockhampton[33]
1914-1915Warwick Technical College and State High SchoolVictoria Street, Warwick[34]
1914-1915Windsor State School270 Lutwyche Rd, Windsor[35][36]
1915-1916Block ‘C’, Rockhampton District Court (formerly Rockhampton Branch of the Queensland State Government Savings Bank)42 East Street, Rockhampton[37]
1916-1917Toowoomba Technical College (former)124 Margaret Street, Toowoomba[38]
1919‘D’ Block, Rockhampton State High School and Technical College; (demolished 1997-98)Alma Street, Rockhampton[39]
1919-1921Cairns Court House (former)38-40 Abbott St, Cairns[40][41]
1925Enoggera Memorial Hall and School of ArtsCnr Trundle and Wardell Streets, Enoggera[42]
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See also

References
  1. The Queenslander (Brisbane), 10 April 1930
  2. Watson, Donald; McKay, Judith (1994). Queensland Architects of the 19th Century: A biographical dictionary. Brisbane: Queensland Museum. pp. 34, 36, 149–150.
  3. Watson 1994, 150
  4. Watson 1994, 149
  5. Watson 1994, 34
  6. Philip Goad and Julie Willis, eds. Encyclopedia of Australian Architects (Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2012), 571-572
  7. The Brisbane Courier, 26 August 1903
  8. Watson 1994, 35
  9. "Parliament House (entry 600069)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  10. "Department of Primary Industries Building (former) (entry 601093)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  11. The Brisbane Courier, 20 June 1900
  12. "Brisbane Grammar School (entry 600124)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  13. "Customs House Rockhampton (entry 600817)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  14. "East Brisbane State School (entry 601476)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  15. The Queenslander (Brisbane) 10 August 1901
  16. "Naval Offices (former), Brisbane (entry 600101)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  17. The Brisbane Courier, 13 May 1901
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Land Administration Building (entry 600123)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  20. "Former North Ward Defence Complex, Townsville (entry 602147)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  21. "Woolloongaba Post Office (former) (entry 600357)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  22. The Queenslander (Brisbane) 10 August 1933
  23. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  24. "Former Dispenser's House, Diamantina Hospital (entry 602560)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  25. "Charters Towers Police Station (entry 600401)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  26. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  27. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  28. "Mackay Technical College (former) (entry 602056)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  29. "Brisbane Central Technical College (former) (entry 601728)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  30. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  31. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  32. "Wooloowin State School (entry 601565)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  33. "'A' Block, Central Queensland Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Rockhampton Campus (entry 600789)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  34. "Digital Image View". www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  35. "Windsor State School (entry 600991)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  36. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  37. "Rockhampton Court and Administrative Complex (entry 600795)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  38. "Toowoomba Technical College (former) (entry 600851)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  39. "'A' Block, Central Queensland Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Rockhampton Campus (entry 600789)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  40. "Cairns Court House Complex (entry 600376)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  41. "Australian Heritage Database". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  42. The Brisbane Courier, 10 February 1925
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