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CONTENTS
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
At the end of 1958, I was interviewed by Government Architect Cobden Parkes for a traineeship with the Public Works department. Nearly thirty years later, in 1988 I was selected to be the new Government Architect but resigned before assuming that office. In the intervening period I saw four GAs come and go witnessing great achievements as well as imminent decline. For the second half of this period, I enjoyed the most fulfilling projects as well as the privilege of close contact with politicians and decision-makers, especially as Principal Architect and Assistant Government Architect during the time of the Wran government.
The splendidly presented exhibition at the State Library of NSW, Imagine a City, had little to say about this period and conveyed no particular impression of the achievement of the office in the 1970s and 1980s or the role of the titular Government Architect. By the end of the 1960s there had been a generational change in the office. As students they were in awe of the likes of Ken Woolley, Michael Dysart and Peter Hall, but by this time they had moved on to private practice and the Government Architect’s Branch was enjoying the fruits of the traineeship programme. Quite a few had obtained master’s degrees from prestigious Ivy League universities and experience in offices in the UK, creating a vibrant culture fed by great job opportunities. Personally, the Sulman Award-winning success of the 1972 Captain Cook wing at the Art Gallery of NSW and the commencement of the NSW Parliament House project put me in contact with the ministers of works and later the premiers of the day creating the unique opportunities that arise out of personal relationships. It became clear to me that politicians relish advice that leads to results which enhance their government’s standing. Many key moments have never been documented leading to the limitations evident in exhibitions based solely on archival material. In the mid-1970s, the NSW Parliament House project put me into close contact with Leon Punch, the Country Party Minister of Public Works. Notwithstanding his rough and ready ‘country’ demeanour, Leon and his wife were interested in contemporary art and design and were happy to support a generous arts budget for the major Parliament House addition, setting
Personally, the Sulman Award-winning success of the 1972 Captain Cook wing at the Art Gallery of NSW and the commencement of the NSW Parliament House project put me in contact with the ministers of works and later the premiers of the day creating the unique opportunities that arise out of personal relationships. It became clear to me that politicians relish advice that leads to results which enhance their government’s standing. Many key moments have never been documented leading to the limitations evident in exhibitions based solely on archival material. In the mid-1970s, the NSW Parliament House project put me into close contact with Leon Punch, the Country Party Minister of Public Works. Notwithstanding his rough and ready ‘country’ demeanour, Leon and his wife were interested in contemporary art and design and were happy to support a generous arts budget for the major Parliament House addition, setting
In the mid-1970s, the NSW Parliament House project put me into close contact with Leon Punch, the Country Party Minister of Public Works. Notwithstanding his rough and ready ‘country’ demeanour, Leon and his wife were interested in contemporary art and design and were happy to support a generous arts budget for the major Parliament House addition, setting up a works of art committee as well as an all-party Upper and Lower House building committee to oversight the design and construction of the building. During this time, I developed close relationships with Evan Williams, Director of the Ministry of the Arts, leading to a works programme to meet the needs of the states’ cultural facilities that the Wran government (elected in 1976) was happy to adopt. Virtually everything in this report was built by the end of
During this time, I developed close relationships with Evan Williams, Director of the Ministry of the Arts, leading to a works programme to meet the needs of the states’ cultural facilities that the Wran government (elected in 1976) was happy to adopt. Virtually everything in this report was built by the end of the Wran decade in office.
The change of government was not lacking in moments of drama. I particularly remember Minister Jack Ferguson addressing the senior 100 or so staff with the halting phrase ‘youse are the tools of the Country Party!’ Remarkable within days a tangible sense of responsibility and loyalty developed to the Minister, who as an ex-bricklayer, could literally lay foundations stones applying the mortar bedding with a silver-plated trowel.
My family had come to Australia as refugees from the communist takeover in Latvia during WWII and were nothing if not right wing in their politics. However, Latvians were also heavily involved in the 1905 and 1917 Russian revolutions. Fergusson somehow found out that I was born in Latvia and told me that he was aware of Lenin having a bodyguard contingent formed by Latvian riflemen. This led to the Minister calling me ‘comrade’, inviting me to go on trips away with him and Freddy Smidt, his private adviser, and giving me a reason to brush up on revolutionary history. Jack was also Deputy Premier and had delivered the left faction votes that had made Wran the Leader of the Opposition and ultimately Premier. Jack was unwavering in his loyalty to the Premier and enjoyed a close but no uncritical relationship with him. He would often say, ‘the problem with Neville is that he’s capable of saying anything’.
Parliament House and the Arts programme had brought me into contact with the Premier, but it was the refurbishment of the Premier’s suite in the now-demolished State Office block that clinched the relationship. The suite was a unique set of rooms, designed by Ken Woolley, consisting of striated terrazzo walls made with white marble chips with a ceiling of NSW cedar joists suspended in a brass armature. Commissioned under Premier Askin, the rooms were furnished with the standard State Office Block furniture range dominated by a gigantic free-standing Chubb safe. The GAB designed a Premier’s suite resplendent with antique cedar desks and chairs and an elegant informal seating area of B&B ITALIA furniture.
‘The new minister called me up to his office and congratulated me on my appointment as Government Architect and said: “Your job is to sack half the staff in the first two years of our term and the balance by the end of our four-year term. However, you’ll be alright mate, as we’ll need someone to write the briefs and hire the consultants”’
Wran was delighted with the outcome and I felt I had the confidence of the Minister and Premier. This led to an incredible diversity of projects and events. As far as Wran was concerned, I was the Government Architect. I was invited to present important projects to the policy and priorities committee of Cabinet, usually the only public servant present apart from the secretary of the Premier’s department.
Besides developing major architectural projects with the Special Projects team such as additions to Parliament House, the State Library, the Australian Museum, the Ryde Food School, I wrote the brief and called bids for the Sydney Entertainment Centre, carried out a detailed feasibility study for the Olympics to the held in Sydney, advised on the brief for Convention and Exhibition facilities in Sydney and was heavily involved in the procurement of Darling Harbour. Less conventional activities included a study commissioned by Wran to place projects such as the Entertainment Centre and the Powerhouse Museum in the path of projected DMR freeways, as this was the only way that Wran felt they could be stopped.
Perhaps even more important was attending a dawn meeting at which the then head of the Maritime Services Board tried to persuade the Premier and Minister that Walsh Bay should be demolished and turned into landfill container wharves in place of the Pier 4/5 Sydney Theatre project. The MSB head was told to ‘get fucked’ by the Premier and sacked shortly afterwards.
In the mid-1980s, I was appointed to the position of Assistant Government Architect, Bicentennial Projects. This included the extensive improvements to Circular Quay, including the forecourt and lower concourse to the Sydney Opera House, the improvements to Macquarie Street, including the restoration of historic buildings along its length, the building of the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta as well as the design and procurement of decorations for the Bicentennial celebrations.
A consortium of architects, including winners of Institute of Architects’ Quay Ideas Competition, was set up for Circular Quay. An invited competition was held for the Federation Pavilion at Centennial Park and was won by Alec Tzannes. Tenders were called for the Sydney Opera House carpark and I was involved with development bids for the Park Hyatt Hotel, as well as unrealised earlier schemes at Walsh Bay and Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf.
There were no scandals or significant cost or time overruns with any of these projects and the government of the day was happy with the services provided by the GAB. Peter Webber had reorganised the branch as series of largely autonomous client-oriented sections. In Special Projects, I felt it was important to deal with all aspects of architecture from brief compilation to construction completion to fully develop architectural skills. There was always a major project under documentation in-house, as well as relationships with private firms at many levels.
Imagine a City assigned many of my projects to various Government Architects. At no time did Ted Farmer discuss anything or attend any meeting to do with the Captain Cook Wing at the Art Gallery of NSW. Peter Webber had left the GAB by the time Parliament House and the Ryde School were serious projects. Charles Weatherburn certainly helped with good advice on the procurement of complex jobs such as Parliament House. Ian Thomson had no contact, whatsoever, with the numerous Bicentennial projects listed, keeping busy with the administrative responsibilities of a large organisation. The 1988 wing of AGNSW was practically complete by the time Lindsay Kelly became Government Architect. It’s good to set the record straight!
All this came to an end with the election of the Greiner government. The new minister, the avuncular Wal Murray called me up to his office and congratulated me on my appointment as Government Architect and said: ‘Your job is to sack half the staff in the first two years of our term and the balance by the end of our four-year term. However, you’ll be alright mate, as we’ll need someone to write the briefs and hire the consultants.’ A week later, I had another meeting in which the Minister said, ‘They tell me you’ve been seen around the National Trust – I’d make myself a bit scarce around there!’
My appointment was reported in a quarter column on page eight of the Sydney Morning Herald. My resignation rated three columns on page three!
It’s taken twenty-eight years for Wal Murray’s vision to be realised. It is poignant and ironic that Imagine a City coincided with the end of the Government Architect’s Office. 
Andrew Andersons worked within the Government Architect’s Branch from 1958 to 1988 and was appointed Assistant Government Architect in 1984. Formerly principal director of PTW Architects, he is now a freelance consultant
