John Grainger
GRAINGER, John, Engineer and Architect (1854-1917)
A gifted architect and civil engineer whose legacy is many heritage buildings and bridges in SA, WA, QLD, NZ and VIC.
John Grainger was a gifted architect and civil engineer whose legacy is many heritage buildings and bridges in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New Zealand and Victoria. His works included the Albert Bridge in Adelaide, the Prince’s Bridge in Melbourne, the Swing Bridge over the Latrobe River near Sale, the Fremantle Town Hall and the Auckland Municipal Offices.
Born in 1854 in Westminster, London, Grainger started his engineering training when he was fifteen in the office of W.E. Wilson, Dean’s Yard, Westminster. He studied architecture under I.J. Eden and W.K. Green of Westminster.
In 1877, at the age of 23, he migrated to South Australia and started a drafting position with the South Australian Public Works Department. His private practice very quickly dominated his career. He resigned in mid-1878 after winning the design competition for the Albert Street Bridge, in Adelaide, which he co-designed with Henry Worsley. As a member of the firm Grainger and D’Ebro he won the design competition for the Sale Swing Bridge in 1879. The partnership, with Charles D’Ebro, also won the design competition for the Prince’s Bridge in Melbourne in 1879.
In 1880, he moved to Melbourne to finalise the design of these bridges and to design prominent buildings such as the Masonic Hall and George’s Building, both in Collins Street. Other buildings designed were the State Savings Bank in Elizabeth Street and the Administrative Offices at the Melbourne Town Hall.
In 1897 he was appointed to the role of Principal Architect with the Western Australian Public Works Department and designed many buildings including the Government House Ballroom, the Supreme Court, the Perth Art Gallery, Parliament House, Perth Central Police Courts and the Warden’s Court in Coolgardie. Whilst working in Western Australia, he won two gold medals for his exhibits at the Paris Exhibition of 1900.
John resigned from the Western Australian position due to ill health in 1905. After a trip to Europe to improve his health, he returned to work in Melbourne in 1906.
He went on to be involved in the design and construction of 14 bridges in his career, as well as water supply and irrigation schemes.
John had married Rose Aldridge in October 1880, at Adelaide and they had one son, the prominent musician and composer Percy Aldridge Grainger.
Ill health plagued John in the latter stages of his life and combined with poor investments he died a pauper, at Kew, Melbourne, on April 13, 1917, aged 62.
References
Compiled by Chris Fitzhardinge March 27, 2024.
