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Charles Edward Owen Smyth (1 January 1851 – 1 October 1925), commonly referred to as Owen Smyth, was an Irish-born
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
n
public servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
.


Early life

Smyth was born at Ferrybank,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
(either
Ferrybank, Waterford Ferrybank () is a suburb of Waterford City in Ireland. Much of Ferrybank, or "the village" as it is referred to locally, is under the political jurisdiction of Waterford City and County Council and thus an area of administration for Waterford C ...
or
Ferrybank, Wexford Ferrybank is a townland near Wexford, in County Wexford, Ireland. Located to the north of Wexford Town, by the mouth of River Slaney and Wexford Harbour, it is linked to the town by Wexford Bridge. Prior to the construction of the first Wexfo ...
), the son of Stephen Smyth, a
naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture by occupation Design occupations Occupations Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's rol ...
, and his wife (née Owen), who claimed descent direct descent from "Meurig, King of Dyfid" (perhaps
Meurig ap Tewdrig Meurig ap Tewdrig (Latin: ''Mauricius''; English: ''Maurice'') was the son of Tewdrig (St. Tewdric), and a King of the early Welsh Kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing. He is thought to have lived between 400AD and 600AD, but some sources give more spec ...
). He was educated at
Erasmus Smith High School Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...
, Dublin, and then travelled the world as a sailor and house painter before settling in Australia in 1873. He spent two years as a builder's foreman and manager in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
before moving to
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
in May 1876.


Career

He gained employment as a clerk in the South Australian Council of Education's architectural office under E. J. Woods. When Woods was appointed architect-in-chief by the Boucaut government, Smyth was promoted to clerk-in-charge of Woods' office, and ''de facto'' chief of staff to Woods. His handling of a dispute between the Government and the Kapunda Marble Company over the Parliament House contract brought him to the notice of several government Ministers. Justice Boucaut, when Premier, had also noticed Smyth and had him earmarked for promotion. This was not to happen as soon as expected, as Smyth burst a blood vessel, which necessitated his return to England for a year. In 1886, the Architect-in-Chief's Department was abolished and the
Downer Downer may refer to: * Downer (surname), various persons of that name * Downer, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, Australia * Downer Glacier, Alaska * Downer, Minnesota, an unincorporated community * Downer (soil), the New Jerse ...
government appointed Smyth to the new post of superintendent of public buildings in the Works and Buildings Department, a position which he held until his retirement in January 1920. Although not an architect, Smyth had considerable influence in the design, construction and maintenance of South Australia’s public buildings. A thorough-going patriot, he insisted on the use of Australian and British materials. Public buildings supervised by Smyth include Withall and Wells'
Jubilee Exhibition Building The Jubilee Exhibition Building in Adelaide, South Australia, was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne on 20 June 1837. The jubilees of her Coronation on 28 June 183 ...
(1887), the north wing extension of the
South Australian Museum The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultur ...
and the
Art Gallery of South Australia The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...
, the South Australian School of Mines and Industries (1903), the Thebarton Mounted Police Barracks, Port Road, Thebarton, the Margaret Graham Nurses' Home (1910–1911) on Frome Road, the Magill Home, the Bedford Park Sanatorium, and the
Torrens Parade Ground Torrens Parade Ground, which includes the former Torrens Training Depot and Drill Hall, is a former military facility located in Adelaide city centre, Adelaide, South Australia. Location and description The Parade Ground lies behind Government H ...
. He also influenced the landscaping and beautification of the
Torrens Lake The River Torrens (Karrawirra Parri / Karrawirraparri) is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains. It was one of the main reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Ad ...
surrounds and the North Terrace makeover, all with an eye to value for money. Following Smyth's retirement, the Works and Buildings Department was renamed the Architect-in-Chief’s Department, a title it held until 1960. In 1921 Smyth sailed to England with the intention of living there but returned to South Australia in 1923, writing a series of reminiscences of the department and its staff, which were published in the newspapers.


Honours

Smyth was appointed
Companion of the Imperial Service Order The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a pe ...
(ISO) in 1903 and
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...
(CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.


Other interests

Smyth, an ardent
imperialist Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power ( diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism fo ...
, was active in several imperialist and patriotic organisations, and made sure portraits of the monarch were hung in all notable locations within his buildings. Smyth was a founding member of the South Australian branch of the
Royal Society of St George The Royal Society of St George is an English patriotic society established in 1894 to encourage interest in the English way of life, and English history, ideals, customs and traditions. History In 1415 St George became the Patron Saint of Englan ...
. He was also an active
Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
, belonging to the Duke of Leinster Lodge, No. 363. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he took a great interest in the welfare of serving soldiers, and gave much of his time, influence and expertise to the
Cheer-Up Society The Cheer-Up Society was a South Australian patriotic organisation founded during The Great War, whose aims were provision of creature comforts for soldiers in South Australia. Much of their activity was centred on the Cheer-up Hut, which they bui ...
.


Family

Smyth married Bessie Saunderson Davidson (c. 1855 – 22 February 1933), daughter of John Davidson, of
Galashiels Galashiels (; , ) is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile in ...
and London, on 19 June 1879. Their children were: *Margaret Laidlaw "Madge" Owen Smyth (20 July 1882 – c. 25 May 1973), who married barrister Edward Walter Godfrey (c. 1882 – 14 January 1920) of Shanghai, China, on 26 January 1911. She had a son in
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
on 23 September 1920. *Trevor Owen Smyth (4 April 1886 – 11 May 1915), who was killed at Gallipoli while serving as a lieutenant with the 10th Battalion, A.I.F. *Arthur Gaynor Owen Smyth (2 October 1897 – ?), who joined the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in April 1916, direct from St Peter's College, and saw service on the Somme, and later in Mesopotamia, where he was promoted staff captain. They had a home at Davenport terrace, Hazelwood Park. Smyth's brother, Reverend Arthur Owen Smyth (c. 1857 – 23 August 1890), was a curate in
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...
, and died at his brother's residence, "Egryn",
Kensington Park, South Australia Kensington Park is an eastern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Burnside in South Australia. It is bordered by Magill Road to the north, Glynburn Road to the east, Kensington Road to the south, and Gurrs and Shipsters Roads to the west. It i ...
.


Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, Charles 1851 births 1925 deaths People from County Kilkenny Irish emigrants to Australia Australian public servants Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Australian Companions of the Imperial Service Order