Perth Concert Hall, Donald Campbell Rupert Bailey
Two pillars of Australian architecture have recently passed away.
1. Donald Campbell Rupert Bailey, AM, LFRAIA, Hon. FAIA (1927–2025).
Graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1949, Donald joined Stephenson and Turner before spending four years overseas working in London with Ramsay Murray White & Ward and in Toronto with John B Parkin & Associates. On returning to Melbourne in 1955, he joined Bates Smart & McCutcheon.
In 1960, he and Jeffrey Howlett won the competition for the City of Perth Administration Building, followed in 1962 by the Reserve Bank of Australia Building and the Perth Concert Hall in 1973.
Leaving Howlett and Bailey in 1974, Donald became the National Director of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects for 17 years. He was awarded the RAIA Gold Medal in 1991 and, in 2005, became a Member of the Order of Australia. His prominent and refined modernist designs, along with his leadership and administrative contributions, were further recognised through his elevation to Life Fellow of the RAIA and Honorary Life Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
2. Daryl Sanders Jackson, AO, LFRAIA, Hon. FAIA (1937–2026).
After graduating from RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, Daryl worked in the United States under Paul Rudolph, whose modernist aesthetic and Brutalist style influenced his early designs.
Establishing his own practice in 1964, he also worked with Evan Walker, a fellow Melbourne University graduate, on numerous school projects, including the award-winning Canberra School of Music, noted for its Brutalist design.
Daryl also collaborated with another alumni, Kevin Borland, on the award-winning Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Glen Iris.
He worked in association with several architectural practices, including Grimshaw on the multi-award-winning Southern Cross Station; Tompkins Shaw & Evans on the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and with MCG5 Sports Architects on the Northern Stand again, completing the 100,000-seat stadium.
Southern Cross Station, Daryl Sanders Jackson in association with Grimshaw
The RAIA awarded Daryl its highest honour, the Gold Medal, in 1987, and he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990 for services to architecture. In recognition of his contributions, he was made a Life Fellow of the RAIA and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
His international work included the Australian Chancery Complex and the Australian High Commission.
The practice, now known as Jackson Architecture, operates from Melbourne and Canberra, with affiliated offices in Fiji and Hong Kong. In collaboration with Hassell, Melbourne’s skyline was elevated by the 50-storey 120 Collins Street office tower. In Hong Kong, the former airport at Kai Tak has been transformed into a major sports park where, in association with Leigh & Orange, the design brief was developed for a 50,000-seat roofed stadium, a flexible indoor sports centre for 10,000 spectators, and a public sports ground.
Daryl was also an educator, serving as a visiting professor at the University of New South Wales and RMIT University, inspiring many students through his lectures. One such student, RAIA National President-Elect David Wagner, wrote:
“Daryl’s passing is the closing of a significantly productive chapter of thought and works in Australian architecture, leading a cohort of practitioners in establishing a language of architecture, a strengthening of institutional responsibilities and a reframing of our urban condition. Our condolences and thoughts are with Kay, Tim, Sara, Melissa, Olivia, their families and friends. Vale Daryl Jackson”
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Daryl Sanders Jackson in association with Tompkins Shaw & Evans.
With Daryl’s strong connections to the Essendon Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club, a fitting public farewell will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday 3 June at 2pm. It is hoped that many friends and colleagues from architecture, education, health, sport, and the arts will join his family in celebrating his life.
Recent Events
The recently formed AIA Oceania has been active with the following events at the start of the year:
Sydney Chinese New Year Function
AIA Oceania celebrated Chinese New Year with a presentation informing Sydney members about the establishment of the new AIA Section and upcoming initiatives, including:
the AIA International Spring Conference in March
the NZIA National Conference to be held in Auckland in September in association with the Commonwealth Association of Architects
and the RAIA National Conference in Brisbane in late October.
Left to Right: Louise Cox, AIA Oceania President, hosting Andrew Nolan, Philip Cox, Bob Nation, Vince Pirrello, Dick Nugent, Lisa Hua and Simon Wells
2. Rafiq Azam Book Launch at Sydney Opera House
Rafiq Azam being introduced by Glenn Murcutt at the book launch
On 26 March, AIA Oceania members, including President Louise Cox and Secretary Simon Wells, attended the worldwide launch of RAFIQ AZAM: Old Dhaka–New Story: Architecture in Bangladesh, hosted by Bangladeshi Architects in Australia at the Sydney Opera House.
Inaugural remarks were made by Glenn Murcutt, AO, LFRAIA, Hon. FAIA, and Professor Philip Cox AO, LFRAIA, Hon. FAIA.
Spring Conference Seminar: Hẻm Urban Villages in Ho Chi Minh City
AIA Oceania, together with AIA South-East Asia, moderated Ed Haysom’s presentation at the AIA International Spring Conference on Hẻm Urban Villages in Ho Chi Minh City: A Model for Community-Driven Urbanism, offering insight into the historical development of Saigon into present-day Ho Chi Minh City.
1882 Cadastral Map of Saigon with Citadel (grey right of centre)
Simon Wells, RAIA, Intl. Assoc. AIA
Country Representative Australia
Secretary AIA Oceania
