Griffin, Walter Burley, 1876-1937

Walter Burley Griffin was an architect and landscape architect. Marion Mahony Griffin (1871-1962) was an architect who worked mainly as an architectural renderer. She was the first women to graduate, in 1894, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in architecture. Both had previously worked for Frank Lloyd Wright at his studio in Oak Park, Illinois.

From the description of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin architectural drawings, circa 1909-1937. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 505720053

Probably a project for a bank in India.

From the description of Municipal Bank [India?] [graphic] / [Walter Burley Griffin, architect; Marion Mahony Griffin, renderer.]. [undated] (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 476794820

Australia as a Commonwealth nation had gone to war following Britain in Aug. 1914 but from Oct. 1915 under the leadership of Labor prime minister Billy Hughes the newly formed Federal government was committing even greater resources towards the war effort. In order to better consolidate their military resources, Federal Cabinet considered in 1915 two possible sites for a new military arsenal at either Dickson/Lyneham or Fyshwick finally settling on a third site at Tuggeranong as it provided both a natural amphitheatre and a plentiful water supply from the Murrumbidgee. The Industrial Town Project was proposed in 1916 by Colonel David Miller, the administrative head of the Department of Home Affairs, to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for a small arms factory or arsenal to be established at the site now known as Tuggeranong and this proposal was supported by Percy T. Owen, Director-General of Works and a member of the Arsenal Committee, Dept. of Defence. Though he was strongly opposed to industrialising the Federal capital as it would change the character of the city as well as make the city an overt military target with an arsenal and Duntroon co-located, Walter Burley Griffin was pressed into designing the township following the formal survey of the valley. He submitted this detailed map early in 1917 but the project was quickly wound down following the end of the War in Nov. 1918.

From the description of Industrial town project, Federal Terratory Australia / Walter Burley Griffin, landscape architect. [1917] (Libraries Australia). WorldCat record id: 224816306

Architect Eric Nicholls was Walter Burley Griffin's business partner and managed their Melbourne office. In 1932 he moved to Sydney with his family to live at Castlecrag. Following Griffin's death in 1937, Nicholls continued the architectural practice from Castlecrag. During Nicholl's lifetime he kept custody of a large collection of Griffin's papers and photographs. On his death in 1966 this custody passed to his children, Marie and Glynn, from whom the collection was acquired in 2006.

From the description of Papers of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony collected by Eric Nicholls, 1900-1947 [manuscript]. 1900-1947. (Libraries Australia). WorldCat record id: 225385336

Griffin's firm continued to practice under his name into the late 1940s.

From the description of W.A. Anderson flats proj[ect] [graphic] : plan at 1st floor level. 1943. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 80367494