Francis Drummond Greville Stanley

Francis Drummond Greville Stanley

Francis Drummond Greville Stanley (1839—1897) was an architect in Queensland, Australia. He was the Queensland Colonial Architect. Many of his designs are now heritage-listed buildings.

Early life

Stanley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1 January 1839, the son of actor and painter Montague Talbot Stanley and his wife Mary Susan (née Eyre).^[1][2]

Stanley studied and practiced architecture in Edinburgh prior to emigrating to Brisbane in 1861-2, where he joined the Lands Department in 1863, becoming chief clerk of works under the Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin.^[3]

On 27 April 1865, he married Margaret Bennet at Toowoomba.^[4]

Career

Stanley was appointed to the post of Queensland Colonial Architect in July 1873.^[5] He held that post until 1881.^[6]

Works

• 1873: Roma Street railway station, Brisbane^[7]
• 1874: the first Cape Capricorn Light, near Rockhampton^[8]
• 1877: Maryborough Courthouse^[9]
• 1879: Queensland National Bank (former), Townsville^[10]
• 1880: Toowoomba Post Office^[11]
• 1883: the rectory of Christ Church, Milton, Brisbane^[12]
• 1884: Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville^[13]
• 1888: Australian Joint Stock Bank (former), Townsville^[14]
• 1889: the residence Tighnabruaich, Indooroopilly, originally built for his brother Henry Charles Stanley, railway engineer^[3][15]
• 1893: St Ann's Industrial School, now part of All Hallows' School, Brisbane^[16]

Later years

Stanley was interested in astronomy and built an observatory with a retractable roof at his home, equipped with a powerful telescope. It was used to observe the transit of Mercury in November 1894.^[17]

In August 1896, Stanley took up government employment again as an inspector of works.^[1]

Stanley died of tuberculosis^[18] on Friday 28 May 1897 at his home Ardencraig at Church Street (later Jephson Street), Toowong, Brisbane. He had caught a chill three weeks ago, leading to paralysis of his lower body.^[1] He was buried at Toowong Cemetery.^[19] His wife Margaret died on 14 September 1921 at Witherslack, Chelmer and was buried at Sherwood Anglican cemetery.^[20][21]

References