John Beswicke

Dandenong Town Hall

John Beswicke (1847–1925) was an architect and licensed surveyor operating in Melbourne between 1882 and 1915. He was apprenticed to the firm Crouch and Wilson at age 16, where he continued to work for 18 years, finishing as head assistant. On 2 January 1882 Ralph Wilson and John Beswicke formed the partnership Wilson and Beswicke. Through his career he was in sole practice as J. Beswicke, between and following three partnerships including Beswicke and Hutchins, and Beswicke and Coote.

Notable works

Hawthorn Town Hall

Civic buildings around Melbourne:

• Brighton Town Hall^[1]
• Dandenong Town Hall^[2]
• Essendon Town Hall
• Hawthorn Town Hall^[3]
• Malvern Town Hall^[4]

Churches:

• St. Kilda Presbyterian (Alma Road, St. Kilda)
• Brisbane Wesleyan (cnr. Albert and Ann Streets)

St. Kilda Presbyterian Church

Commercial:

• Shops, Auburn ^[5]
• 236-252 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy ^[6]

Perhaps the most notable commercial project of his career, in a brief partnership known as J. Beswicke, and Oakden Addison and Kemp, was a twelve storey brick building on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Lane (1888) for the Australian Property and Investment Company, (no longer standing).

Domestic:

• "Rotha" (Beswicke's own home), 29 Harcourt Street, Hawthorn^[7]
• "Tudor Lodge" (Mr. Cullis Hill), 13 Harcourt Street, Hawthorn (renamed later, "Hilton House")
• "Tudor House", cnr. Pasco and Electra streets, Williamstown^[8]

References

External links

• References to John Beswicke, National Library of Australia
• Victorian Heritage Register
• C57 - Auburn Village Heritage Precinct
• Tudor House (1884)
• John Beswicke 1847 -1925 Heritage Architect, Ken Bethell 2012