Colonel Walter Liberty Vernon VD FRIBA (11 August 1846 – 17 January 1914) was an English architect who migrated to Australia and pursued his career as an architect in Sydney, New South Wales. In his role as the New South Wales Government Architect he is noted for designing multiple government buildings, many of which are extant with listings on national and state heritage registers.

Quick Facts 10th New South Wales Government Architect, Preceded by ...

Colonel Walter Liberty Vernon VD FRIBA
10th New South Wales Government Architect
In office 1 August 1890 – 11 August 1911
Preceded by	George McRae
Succeeded by	James Barnet
10th Mayor of East St Leonards
In office 9 February 1887 – 18 February 1888
Preceded by	George Ranken
Succeeded by	Patrick William Glacken
Alderman of the Borough of East St Leonards
In office 4 March 1885 – 29 July 1890
Ward	East Ward (1889–1890)
Alderman of the Municipality of North Sydney
In office 29 July 1890 – 10 February 1891
Personal details
Born	(1846-08-11)11 August 1846 High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Died	17 January 1914(1914-01-17) (aged 67) Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
Resting place	Gore Hill cemetery
Spouse	Margaret Anne Jones
Children	Hugh Venables Vernon Geoffrey Hampden Vernon
Education	Royal Academy of Arts South Kensington School of Art
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal (1897) Volunteer Officers' Decoration (1905)
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom  Australia
Branch/service	NSW Colonial Forces Australian Army
Years of service	1885–1910
Rank	Colonel
Commands	New South Wales Lancers

Close

Vernon was born 11 August 1846 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England,^[1] the son of a banker's clerk, Robert Vernon and Margaret Liberty. He was articled in 1862 to a London architect, W. G. Habershon, and studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and South Kensington School of Art. After completing his studies, he pursued a practice as an architect in London and married Margaret Anne Jones in 1870 at Newport, Wales. His London practice was successful, but he suffered from bronchial asthma and received medical advice to leave England. He migrated to Australia and arrived in Sydney in November 1883.^[1]

Vernon established a private practice in Sydney, and then partnered with William Wardell from 1884 until 1889. Vernon assisted with works already in progress, designed buildings and supervised Wardell's Melbourne projects in 1884–85. Vernon was an alderman on East St Leonards Municipal Council in 1885–90, serving a single term as Mayor from 1887 to 1888.^[2][3] When the Borough of East St Leonards amalgamated to form the Municipality of North Sydney on 29 July 1890, Vernon was an Alderman of the new council, but did not seek re-election when his term expired in February 1891.^[4] Elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1885, he joined the (Royal) Art Society of New South Wales in 1884, (Sir) John Sulman's Palladian Club and the Institute of Architects of New South Wales in 1887, and the Sydney Architectural Association in 1891.^[1]

On 1 August 1890 Vernon was appointed as the New South Wales Government Architect, however his staff numbers were reduced significantly.^[5] Vernon showed that the system of design competitions were twice as expensive and the activities of this office were boosted in 1894 when extra funding was committed as a way of creating relief work during the Depression of the 1890s.

As an architect practising in Australia, Vernon favoured what were later known as the Federation styles, such as the Free Classical, Arts and Crafts, and Free Style.

Examples of the former were his fire station in St Johns Road, Glebe, Jenolan Caves House in the Blue Mountains and the Public School, Military Road, Mosman.^[6] Examples of the latter were his fire stations in The Avenue, Randwick; Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst; and Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont.^[7] Another example of Federation Free Style is the former police station, Taylor Square, Darlinghurst.^[7] In a stylistic departure, he designed the (former) police station in Bourke Street, Surry Hills, in the Romanesque style.^[7]

For more substantial public buildings, Vernon continued the tradition whereby such buildings were designed in a Classical style. Notable examples were the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Mitchell Library (part of the State Library), Central railway station and Newcastle Court House.^[7] The Art Gallery has been described as "masterly symmetry featuring Ionic colonnades."^[6] Central Station has been described as "the grandest railway station in Australia."^{[7]: p.2/108}

Vernon also designed significant additions to existing buildings, such as Customs House in Circular Quay; Randwick Police Station; the Chief Secretary's Building, Sydney; Balranald Post Office; Armidale Post Office; and the former Premier's Office, Sydney. His office was also responsible for the public decorations during the Federation celebrations of 1901.

in 1906, he advocated Mahkoolma, near the future site of Lake Burrinjuck, as the site of Australia's new national capital.^[8][9]

He retired as New South Wales Government Architect in 1911 and returned to private practice, establishing a partnership with Howard Joseland. The latter, also born in England, was a practitioner of the Federation Arts and Crafts and Federation Bungalow styles.^[6] One of the buildings designed by Vernon and Joseland was the Paterson Reid and Bruce building, York Street, Sydney.^[7] In 1911, Vernon judged the competition entries for Parliament House in Wellington, New Zealand, after the original buildings were destroyed in a 1907 fire.^[10][11]

Following the amputation of a leg, Vernon died of septicaemia and gangrene on 17 January 1914 in Darlinghurst and his "impressive funeral" at St James' Church, Sydney on 19 January was attended by "a large and representative gathering of mourners".^[12] He is buried in the Anglican section of the Gore Hill cemetery.

Vernon had an outstanding career as an architect, with many of his buildings being listed on various national and/or state heritage registers.^[7] He is known as a key practitioner of various Federation styles.^[6] The Vernon lectures in town planning, instituted at the University of Sydney in 1916, were endowed in his honour.^[1] Vernon Circle in Canberra is named in his honour, as is the Vernon Pavilion in Sydney's Centennial Park.^[13][14]

• Pyrmont Fire Station
• Randwick Fire Station
• Darlinghurst Fire Station
• Jenolan Caves House, in the Blue Mountains

• Federation architecture
• New South Wales Government Architect
• Mahkoolma