Bruce Dellit

Charles Bruce Dellit (7 November 1898 – 21 August 1942) was an Australian architect who pioneered the Art Deco style.[1] He was generally known as Bruce Dellit.

Personal life

Dellit was born on 7 November 1898 in Darlington in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was the son of Albert Dellit, a furniture manufacturer, and Agnes Gertrude Mack.[1] His full siblings were Albert Cormack, Leo Harold and Ena May. He married Victoria Clara Millar on 15 October 1921 in Queensland.[1] Children of the marriage were Portia, Albert Victor (known as Victor) and Deirdre. Victor was also a prominent architect.

In 1942 Dellit died from cancer in Hornsby near Sydney.[1]

Career

Dellit worked for Hall & Prentice in Queensland and, after returned to Sydney, joined Spain & Cosh in 1922. He set up his own practice in 1928.[1]

Dellit is most noted for his design of the art deco ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney, built to commemorate all who fought in the First World War. Dellit won the project in a design competition that attracted over 100 entries.[2] He introduced the new fashion for Art Deco (more familiar for entertainment buildings) devoid of any classical details and adding a stepped roof.[2] Dellit engaged the sculptor, Rayner Hoff, to create the statues and bas-reliefs for the monument.[2]

Dellit contiunued to complete several commercial and residential buildings during the 1930s.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Dellit, Charles Bruce (1898–1942), Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 K. S. Inglis, "Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape", Melbourne University Press (1998), pp. 289-297. Online version retrieved 2012-03-06.