Joseph Charles Fowell

St Augustines Catholic Church, Meehan Street Yass, New South Wales, 1956, designed by Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan. Sculpture at this Church was created by prominent Australian Sculptor Tom Bass.

Joseph Charles Fowell (2 August 1891 - 3 July 1970) was a prominent Australian 20th century architect.

Biography

Born in Albany, Western Australia but educated in England, Joseph Fowell arrived back in Australia in 1919 where he worked with Professor Leslie Wilkinson at Sydney University. In 1926 Fowell became an assistant to Henry Budden. Fowell created a number of Architectural partnerships including:

• Fowell and McConnel: 1928-1939, with Kenneth McConnel
• Fowell and Mansfield: 1939-1946 with J. L. S. Mansfield
• Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan: 1946-1962 with D. C. B. Maclurcan
• Fowell, Mansfield, Jarvis & Maclurcan: 1962-1970 with O. R. Jarvi

Fowell was primarily responsible for the design of over forty churches in New South Wales and Victoria, including Catholic churches at North Sydney (1937), Parkes (1939) and Neutral Bay (1941).^[1]

Buildings

British Medical Association (BMA) House, 135-137 Macquarie St, Sydney features Koala statues on facade.

BMA House won the 1933 RIBA Medal.

BMA House elevation.

Since remodelled, Orient Line Building, 2-6 Spring Street, Sydney NSW. Won 1943 RAIA Sulman Award

1930

British Medical Association (BMA) House, 135-137 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW
Fowell and McConnel

Subject of a design competition in 1928

1935

St. Anne's Church, Blair & Mitchell Streets, North Bondi, NSW
Fowell and McConnel
Later remodelled in 1964.

1937

St Peters, Church of England, Proston QLD
Fowell and McConnel

1937-1939

St Marys, North Sydney

1938-1939

St Canisus College, Pymble

1941

St Josephs, Neutral Bay

1943

Orient Line Building, 2-6 Spring Street, Sydney NSW
Fowell and McConnel

1956

St Augustine's Church, Yass
Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan

1962

P&O, 565 Hunter Street, Sydney NSW
Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan
Since remodelled.

1965

Gladesville Bridge

1967

Church of St Rose, Rose Street, Collaroy Plateau, Sydney NSW
Fowell, Mansfield, Jarvis & Maclurcan

References

• State Library of Victoria^[2]
• Pamela Martin's Thesis^[3]
• Australian Dictionary Biography
• Father Laurie Bent, St Augustines, Yass, 2006.

Awards

• 1933 RIBA Street Medal and Diploma - BMA House, Macquarie Street, Sydney
  Fowell & McConnel (The first RIBA medal to be awarded in Australia)
• 1935 RAIA Sir John Sulman Medal - St. Anne's Shrine Blair & Mitchell Streets North Bondi
  Fowell & McConnel (The first church to win this award)
• 1943 RAIA Sir John Sulman Medal - Orient Line Building, 2-6 Spring Street, Sydney
  Fowell, McConnel & Mansfield
• 1962 RAIA Gold Medal
  Joseph Charles Fowell

External links

• Royal Australian Institute of Architects Sulman Awards
• About St Annes Church, Bondi; NSW Heritage
• About BMA House, Sydney; Australian Heritage Database
• RAIA: Significant Lost & Altered Sydney Office Buildings

References

1. Australian Dictionary of Biography - Fowell, Joseph Charles (1891 - 1970)
2. Church of St Rose Photograph, Collaroy Plateau, Sydney. State Library of Victoria. Retrieved 20 March 2006.
3. Pamela Martin, Fowell, Mansfield, Jarvis & Maclurcan, 1929-1970 (B.Arch. thesis, University of New South Wales, 1988)