Leslie Wilkinson

Leslie Wilkinson
Professor Leslie Wilkinson by Anthony Browell
Born	(1882-10-12)12 October 1882 New Southgate, Middlesex, England
Died	20 September 1973(1973-09-20) (aged 90) Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Arts
Occupation	Architect
Practice	University of Sydney

Leslie Wilkinson OBE, FRAIA, ARIBA (born 12 October 1882 at New Southgate, Middlesex, England; died 20 September 1973 at Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia) was a professor of architecture at University of Sydney. His whole life was dedicated to architecture as both an academic and practising architect.^[1]

Wilkinson was the founding dean of the faculty of architecture at University of Sydney in 1920. His ideals on architecture as a form of art had strongly influenced both the school and its students. The emphasis on the teaching of philosophy and practice of design was at the time a frontier in architecture education.^[2] Wilkinson was never a part of the modern architecture movement. His work, both as a teacher and practising architect, was consistently involved only with traditional architecture, which was inspired by Australian's colonial heritage and Mediterranean architecture. This is contributed by his background training at the Royal Academy of Arts and his study tours in France, Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Wilkinson's influential work is seen in residential, church and University of Sydney master plan.^[3]

Career[]

Leslie Wilkinson was the younger son of commercial clerk Edward Henry Wilkinson. In his early years, he studied at St Edward's School, Oxford and at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, winning several awards, including the touring scholarship (1904,1905) that allowed him to travel to France, Italy, Spain and England. It was in these early years that his love of Mediterranean and Italian Renaissance architecture developed.^[4] In 1903, Wilkinson had become assistant to noted architect James S. Gibson, while also studying and entering competitions. He was an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1907. In 1908, he became Professor F. M. Simpson's assistant at University College in London and later became assistant professor. He enlisted in the Territorial Force during World War I.

In 1918, he applied for the new chair of architecture (within the faculty of science) at the University of Sydney, and with his eminent referees, he easily obtained the post.

Arriving later that year, he threw his energy into the creation of a faculty of architecture; succeeding in 1920, he became the first dean.

Throughout his time in Australia, Wilkinson also continued to practise as an architect. He was appointed architect for the University of Sydney in 1919, where he contributed to the university's master plan (inspired by the Walter Burley Griffin's previous unused 1915 campus masterplan),^[5] as well as a number of building projects. He also designed over 30 commissions for houses and flats, and some church designs.^[6] In 1933, he became president of the newly formed New South Wales state chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Wilkinson won the Institute’s Sulman Prize in 1934 and 1942 and their first gold medal in 1961, when the housing award was named the Wilkinson Award in his honour.

Notable projects[]

Academic[]

Sydney University Main Quadrangle Panorama by Toby Hudson

• Completion of Edmund Blacket's Gothic Revival Quadrangle, University of Sydney, 1919
• Chemistry Building, University of Sydney, 1923
• Physics Building, University of Sydney, 1926
  

  Sydney University Physics Building by Toby Hudson

Residential[]

• Wilkinson Residence, Greenway, 1923
• Verona Residence, Double Bay, 1923^[7]
• Silchester, Bellevue Hill, 1930
• Greyleaves, Burradoo, 1934
• Samuel Hordern's Residence, Bellevue Hill, 1936
• Maiala, Warrawee, 1937
• Hazeldean, Cooma, 1937
• Markdale Homestead, Crookwell, 1951

Ecclesiastical[]

• St John's Church of England (now Anglican), Penshurst, Sydney
  

  St John's Church of England, Penshurst
• St John's Church of England (now Anglican), Maroubra, Sydney
• St Paul's Church, Harris Park, Sydney
• Completion of Blacket's St Michael's Anglican Church, Vaucluse
• Original design of Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral, Dogura, Papua New Guinea, 1932, which was much modified by a local lay worker, Robert Jones^[8]

Awards[]

• Royal Academy of Art Silver Medal, 1903
• Royal Academy of Art Gold Medal, 1905
• Sir John Sulman Medal, 1934
• Sir John Sulman Medal, 1942
• Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal, 1961 (Now known as Wilkinson Awards)
• Honorary Award, University of Sydney, 1970

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leslie Wilkinson.

External links[]

• Honorary Award, University of Sydney, Leslie Wilkinson
• Drawings and Photographs by Leslie Wilkinson, Library of NSW
• "Wilkinson's European sketches and University legacy [News]". University of Sydney. Retrieved 15 June 2019.