Australia’s First Architectural Competitions, 1826–27

Abstract

ABSTRACT Architectural competitions have played a significant role in Australia’s development, yet their wider story is largely absent from its architectural histories. This paper foregrounds the topic by examining the origins, context, aims and outcomes of the nation’s first three competitions, held in Sydney from October 1826 to January 1827 during Governor Ralph Darling’s administration. Darling abolished the position of Colonial Architect—partly on the grounds it was uneconomic—and made the Engineer’s Office responsible for all public architectural works. The competitions were heralded by the actions of New South Wales’ first archdeacon, who brought with him the concept for a British church construction program. The competitions were ambitious undertakings that should have produced the city’s main Anglican church, a series of country churches and a new Government House at Sydney, but all failed when funding evaporated. The band of architectural practitioners of varying ability—including Francis Greenway—then operating were invited to compete to design what would be some of the colony’s most important buildings. However, mismanagement in the conceptualisation and running of the competitions, and even fraud—which overshadows the extraordinary Government House win by Darling’s wife—ultimately undermined their key objective of achieving architectural excellence.