Edmund William Wright (4 April 1824 – 5 August 1888) was a

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-born architect in the

colony of South Australia A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

. He was

mayor of Adelaide This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of the City of Adelaide, a Local government in Australia, local government area of South Australia. The first local government in Australia was formed on 31 October 1840 with the election of ninet ...

for 10 months in 1859. He designed many civic, commercial, ecclesiastical, and residential buildings in

Adelaide city centre Adelaide city centre () is the inner city locality of Adelaide, Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide l ...

and its suburbs, in styles influenced by

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

and

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

, as well as

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

. He collaborated with other notable architects E. J. Woods,

Isidor Beaver Isidor George Beaver (December 1859 – 24 October 1934), sometimes misspelt "Isidore" and "Beevor", and frequently initialised as "J. G. Beaver", was an architect from England who had a substantial career in Adelaide, South Australia and Melbou ...

, and Edward Hamilton in designing some of the most notable buildings.

Early life and education

Edmund William Wright born on 4 April 1824 in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

. He was the son of Stephen Amand Wright, who was Master of Ordnance at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

, and Lucy Elizabeth, née Tomkins. Wright spent holidays in France, as there were French relatives, and it is thought that memories of these influenced his later designs. He trained as architect, surveyor, and engineer, graduating when articled to a Mr Stow, Borough Surveyor of

Bermondsey Bermondsey ( ) is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham, ...

, London. He became clerk of works at Yarmouth, later sailing first to

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

to construct an iron

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

, and then to Canada, where he worked in construction and engineering. After experiencing poor health, he returned to Bermuda and thence to London. On 15 May 1849 Wright emigrated with his brother Edward to the

, and although he first advertised his architectural services in South Australia in ''

The South Australian Register ''The Register'', originally the ''South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register'', and later ''South Australian Register,'' was South Australia's first newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836, moved to Adelaide in 1837, and ...

'' in June 1849, he did not work as an architect until over a decade later. The brothers worked as land agents and joined the rush to the

Victorian goldfields The Goldfields region of Victoria is a region commonly used but typically defined in both historical geography and tourism geography (in particular heritage tourism). The region is also known as the Victorian Golden Triangle. Description ...

, but by 1852 he had returned to Adelaide, where he married Agnes Jane Stuckey (née Rippingville).

Business career

Between 1849 and 1860, Wright worked in a number of roles, including as a clerk for the Mt Remarkable Mining Company. He also worked as a surveyor with the Union Land and Building Society and the Alliance Assurance Company, and as City Surveyor for the Corporation of Adelaide, and as an insurance agent for the Imperial Fire Insurance Company. He was appointed to the boards of several mining companies.

Architect

Style

Wright gave talks in which he proposed adopting elements of some Italian styles of architecture, such as flat rather than steeply-pitched roofs, and suggested that large rooms were cooler in hot summers. He preferred the style of "Gothic-Italian" architecture seen in

northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...

over

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

. His building designs were influenced by

Italian Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...

, with his best works showing more Neoclassical elements. His style has been dubbed "Victorian Free Classical" style. His designs for

Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Meeting places of parliament Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * P ...

were in Victorian Academic Classical style, while his bank designs were Renaissance style.

Practice

In June 1851 Wright took over the practice of Adelaide architect Henry Stuckey (1821 – 31 May 1851). In that year, he won a competition to design a bridge over the

Torrens River 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 ...

to be known as the City Bridge, but after delaying until 1854, government architect William Bennett Hays and his department designed an iron bridge to be ordered from England. In 1860, Wright and E. J. Woods formed a partnership. In 1858 Wright had submitted the winning design for a competition for

Adelaide Town Hall Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The City of Adelaide Town Hall complex includes the Town Hall and the office building at 25 Pirie Street. Description and history Adelaid ...

, but he was mayor at that time, so declined the prize. A second competition was held on 20 January 1863, in which Wright & Woods' plans won. From 1866 the partnership included E. A. Hamilton in the architectural firm of Wright, Woods & Hamilton. Wright and Woods got on well, but Woods left the partnership in 1869 because Bishop

Augustus Short Augustus Short (11 June 1802 – 5 October 1883) was the first Anglicanism, Anglican bishop of Adelaide, South Australia. Early life and career Born at Bickham House, near Exeter, Devon, England, the third son of Charles Short, a London bar ...

requested that he devote himself to the construction of St Peter's Cathedral at North Adelaide. In 1879 James Henry Reed went into partnership with Wright, forming Wright & Reed Architects. In March 1886

Isidor George Beaver Isidor George Beaver (December 1859 – 24 October 1934), sometimes misspelt "Isidore" and "Beevor", and frequently initialised as "J. G. Beaver", was an architect from England who had a substantial career in Adelaide, South Australia and Melbou ...

joined the partnership, which was renamed Wright, Reed & Beaver (for only two years, as Wright died in 1888). Wright was senior partner in his later years.

Notable buildings

Wright won several architectural competitions to design notable buildings in Adelaide, including the

, Adelaide GPO (General Post Office), and Brougham Place Congregational Church, some in collaboration with Woods or other architects. The town hall was opened in 1866 after substantial modifications demanded by the councillors, to make it suitable for more purposes. Wright was paid to superintend the work. The post office also had to undergo major alterations to its design before it was built. The headquarters for the old

Bank of South Australia BankSA, formerly known as the Bank of South Australia, the State Bank of South Australia and the Savings Bank of South Australia is the largest bank in South Australia. It is a subsidiary of Westpac. History The Savings Bank of South Austra ...

(which became defunct in 1892) was designed by Wright in collaboration with

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

-based architect Lloyd Tayler. The building style is influenced by classical and

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

, while the richly decorated interiors are in Rococo Revival style. Subsequent to the demise of the Bank of South Australia, the building was occupied by three major banks in succession, before being sold to a commercial developer, who planned to demolish it in 1971. A public campaign that raised saved the building, and it was bought by the Dunstan government and renamed Edmund Wright House. The campaign also led to the passing of the first SA heritage laws in 1978. The banking chamber was used for various types of performances, including the inaugural the

Adelaide Chamber Singers Adelaide Chamber Singers is an Australian chamber choir. Along with Greta Bradman, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Luke Dollman they received a nomination for the 2018 ARIA Awards for Best Classical Album with the album ''Home''. Discography Al ...

' inaugural concert, many recitals, and

Adelaide Fringe Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is Australia’s biggest arts festival and is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between ...

shows, while the offices were once occupied by the SA Government's Arts Department. The building became vacant around 2014 or 2015, and was sold to a private

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

-based buyer by the

Marshall government Steven Spence Marshall (born 21 January 1968) is a former Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He was a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the ...

in 2019. In 2024, journalist David Washington compared its fate to

Chelsea Town Hall Chelsea Town Hall is a municipal building in King's Road, Chelsea, London, Chelsea, London. The oldest part is a Grade II* listed building and the later part is Grade II listed building, listed. History The building was commissioned to replace ...

in London, which had recently undergone extensive refurbishment, suggesting that the building is "arguably South Australia's most spectacular heritage building".

Other roles

Wright was elected as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

on the City of Adelaide Council in July 1857. In January 1859, he became mayor but resigned in November of the same year. Wright was an inaugural member of the Society of Architects, Engineers, and Surveyors in 1858. In 1859 he read a paper to the society outlining his architectural philosophy for South Australia. In September 1885, he was elected president of the South Australian Architects' Association. Woods was patron, while Beaver, Edward Davies, and W. A. Reid were elected as vice-presidents. Wright was elected vice-president of the

South Australian Institute of Architects The South Australian Institute of Architects (SAIA) was a professional association for architects in South Australia, founded in 1886. It was preceded by the South Australian Association of Architects, Engineers, and Surveyors and the South Aust ...

after its foundation in 1886.

Personal life

Wright married Agnes, the widow of Henry Stuckey (c. 1820 – 31 May 1851), on 26 October 1852. She had a daughter, and the couple had a further four children, of whom only three survived to adulthood. Wright bought and extended the cottage formerly rented by Stuckey 26 Palmer Place,

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct (Australia), precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. Laid out in a grid plan in three section ...

(later the site of "the Walkley house", designed prominent Australian architect Robin Boyd in 1955).

Death and legacy

Wright died of

bowel obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or Ileus, functional obstruction of the Gastrointestinal tract#Lower gastrointestinal tract, intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Ei ...

on 5 August 1888 and was buried in

North Road Cemetery North Road Cemetery is located in the Adelaide suburb of Nailsworth, approximately 5 km north of the central business district. It is 7.3 hectares (18 acres) in size and there have been over 26,000 burials since its foundation in 1853. The ...

Nailsworth Nailsworth is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England, lying in one of the Stroud Valleys in the Cotswolds, on the A46 road, south of Stroud and about north-east of Bristol and Bat ...

. He is remembered by a commemorative plaque in the

Jubilee 150 Walkway The Jubilee 150 Walkway, also variously known as the Jubilee 150 Commemorative Walk, the Jubilee 150 Walk, Jubilee 150 Plaques, the Jubilee Walk, or simply J150, is a series of (initially) 150 bronze plaques set into the pavement of North ...

along North Terrace in the city. Sculptor John Dowie dubbed Wright "the

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...

of Adelaide". Biographer P. A. Howell suggests that Wright does not deserve the reputation that he has been accorded since 1971, suggesting that "most of Wright's partners were gifted professionals who merited a large share of the honour accorded him".

Awards

The Edmund Wright Heritage Awards were administered by the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage from 2003 to 2005. The inaugural Edmund Wright Heritage Award for Heritage Places in 2003 was won by Peter Moeck for the new auditorium of the Anglican St John's Church in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

(originally designed by

Daniel Garlick Daniel Garlick (20 January 1818 – 28 September 1902) was an architect in the early days of South Australia. During his lifetime, his architectural practice names were Garlick & Son and Jackman & Garlick. After his death his name was perpetuated ...

, gutted by fire in 1989), project by Brown Falconer. In 2004, the Danvers Studio won Edmund Wright Heritage Awards in two categories: Outstanding Contribution, and Adaptive Re-use (Non-Residential). Grieve Gillett Architects won in the Heritage Place (Non Residential) category, for their upgrade of 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 ...

building. In 2005, Chapman Herbert Architects won the award in two categories: Heritage Places (Non-Residential) and Minister's Award for Outstanding Contribution, for their "City Hall & Cave Garden II Redevelopment" in Mt Gambier. In the same year, Artlab Australia commendation in the Heritage Trades and Products category for their restoration of a painted ceiling in the historic Ayers House. Kevin & Mardi Verrion won the Heritage Homes category, for Brock House – Conservation, and David Johnson for his reconstruction of Scotch College front gates.

List of buildings designed by Wright

Wright designed (either alone or in partnership) the following buildings:

Government and commercial

, Commercial Rd,

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide city centre, Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is t ...

(1859) *

(competition, 1863; built 1863-66; inaugurated 20 June 1866) *National Chambers for the

National Bank of Australasia The National Bank of Australasia was a bank based in Melbourne. It was established in 1857, and in 1982 merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney to form National Australia Bank. History In 1857, Alexander Gibb, a Melbourne gentleman ...

, 22-26 King William Street (1864-5; with Woods) * Adelaide GPO (General Post Office) building,

King William Street, Adelaide King William Street is the part of a major arterial road that traverses the CBD and centre of Adelaide, continuing as King William Road to the north of North Terrace and south of Greenhill Road; between South Terrace and Greenhill Road it i ...

(competition, March 1866; in collaboration with Edward Hamilton; 1867–1872) *

headquarters, in collaboration with (and perhaps principally designed by)

-based architect

Lloyd Tayler Lloyd, Lloyd's, or Lloyds may refer to: People * Lloyd (name), a variation of the Welsh word ' ("grey") or ' ** List of people with given name Lloyd ** List of people with surname Lloyd * Lloyd (singer) (born 1986), American singer Places Un ...

; now "Edmund Wright House", 59 King William Street (1878) *Royal Exchange, King William Street, for John Robb *Bank of Adelaide, 81-87 King William Street (corner of

Currie Street Currie Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map
of the

, North Terrace, Adelaide (competition July 1874, with Lloyd Tayler; only built from 1883, supervised by Woods, and complete in 1939) * National Mutual Life building (later Goode House and

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking)#New Zealand, big four banks. It has been operating since October 1861, and since 1992 has been owned by National Australia Bank (NAB), retaining local governance with a New Z ...

), 389-399

Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district, central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was laid out in the first survey of Melbourne, the original 1837 Hoddle Grid, and soon became the most ...

(1887-1893), with Beaver and Reed; Beaver was supervising architect in Melbourne

Religious

* Brougham Place Congregational Church, North Adelaide (competition 1859, in collaboration with Edward Hamilton; built 1861, with construction supervised by Wright & Woods) now Brougham Place Uniting Church *Methodist Meeting Hall, off

Pirie Street Pirie Street is a road on the east side of the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. It runs east–west, between East Terrace and King William Street. After crossing King William Street, it continues as Waymouth Street. It forms the south ...

, Adelaide (1863) *St Rose of Lima Catholic Church,

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance to th ...

(1866), rebuilt in 1938 to designs by

Herbert Jory Harrold Herbert Jory (20 March 1888 – 16 May 1966) , known as Herbert Jory, was a South Australian architect. He was a partner in the leading firm of Woods, Bagot & Jory from 1913, which became Woods, Bagot, Jory & Laybourne Smith from 1915 t ...

*St. Laurence's Church and Priory, Buxton Street, North Adelaide (1867–1868) *Jewish Synagogue, off Rundle Street East (1871)

Residential

*"Belmont", Brougham Place, North Adelaide (1858) *"Linden", Burnside *"Paringa Hall" for the

Cudmore family Cudmore may refer to: People * Alexander Cudmore (1888–1944), American soccer player * Arthur Cudmore (1870–1951), Australian surgeon and professor * Collier Cudmore (1885–1971), Australian lawyer, politician and Olympic rower * Daniel Cud ...

, Brighton Road,

Somerton Park Somerton Park was a football, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Newport, South Wales. Football In April 1912, Newport County had been accepted to play in the Southern League for the 1912–13 season. Shortly afterwards, the site ...

, now part of Sacred Heart College *"Athelney", College Park *"Princess Royal" homestead at Burra *"The Olives", Glenelg, for his brother

Other

Adelaide Educational Institution Adelaide Educational Institution was a privately run non-sectarian academy for boys in Adelaide founded in 1852 by John Lorenzo Young.B. K. Hyams'Young, John Lorenzo (1826–1881)' ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 6, Melbourne Uni ...

schoolhouse, 61–71 Young Street, Parkside

References

External links

The Edmund Wright TrailEdmund Wright architecture
(tour by Keith Conlon, featuring six destinations in the city) {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Edmund William 1824 births 1888 deaths English emigrants to colonial Australia Mayors and lord mayors of Adelaide Architects from London 19th-century Australian architects 19th-century Australian politicians Burials at North Road Cemetery Architects from Adelaide South Australian architects