Exploring Architects' Hunter Joy
Newcastle Herald
Saturday December 13, 2008
A UNIQUE glimpse at the origins of some of the region's most prominent buildings has been provided by a new book that celebrates the region's built environment.
Self-published by retired Newcastle architect Les Reedman, Early architects of the Hunter Region: A Hundred Years to 1940 traces the region's early evolution and its architects.Mr Reedman, who began work on the 271-page book in 1997, researched 57 profiles of the 96 architects who are recorded as working in the region up to 1940.They range from well-known practitioners such as Frederick Menkens to lesser known but significant members of the Hunter profession. "The book deals primarily with the progress of the architecture profession in Newcastle," said Mr Reedman, who was also the first graduate of Newcastle University's bachelor of architecture program in 1960."From the post-Colonial period to the early modern era, architects created many interesting buildings in the Hunter Region."Twenty copies of book have been printed and the Newcastle division of the Institute of Architects hopes to publish a full run next year.Meanwhile, the book can be viewed on the University of Newcastle's Coal River Working party's website.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald