Thomas Ramsay Hall

Thomas Ramsay Hall (2 January 1879 – 15 December 1950) was an architect practicing in Brisbane, Australia, during the first half of the twentieth century and was involved in the design and construction of numerous major buildings in South East Queensland including the Queensland Heritage Register listed Brisbane City Hall.

Life

Thomas Ramsay Hall was born on 2 January 1879[1][2] and was the son of John R Hall, one of Brisbane's early architects, and his third wife Charlotte, née Whiteway.[3] Thomas was the younger half-brother of Francis Richard Hall who was the oldest practicing architect in Australia at the time of his own death in 1939.[4]

Hall attended Brisbane Grammar School from 1891 where he won the Francis memorial prize for mathematics. After graduation, he studied accountancy, architecture and became an approved valuer. From 1907 he was town clerk for Sandgate Council.[5] On 9 March 1910 he married Emma Lingley at St Nicholas's Church, Sandgate.[6] The couple had four children: Jean Charlotte, Sibyl, Jack Ramsay and W. R.[7][8]

He was associated with the firm of Hall and Dodd and, in the early 1900s, entered into partnership with George Gray Prentice and established the firm of Hall and Prentice. During 1922, he travelled to the United States of America to look at architectural advancements and practices, particularly relating to theatres and auditoriums, that could be adopted for use in Australia.[9] In 1930 Hall and Lionel Blythewood Phillips became partners.[10] The firm eventually became Phillips Smith Conwell.[11]

Throughout his career, Hall was involved with a number of significant buildings in Queensland including the Brisbane City Hall, Sandgate Town Hall, Southport Town Hall, Boonah Butter Factory, Ascot Chambers, McDonnell & East Ltd Building, Castlemaine Perkins Building, Main Beach Pavilion, Southport Surf Lifesaving Club and the Tattersalls Club.

Hall was involved in horse racing throughout his life and was a member of the Tattersalls Club and the Queensland Turf Club. The T.R. Hall Handicap is named in his honour.[12] Between 1929 and 1931, after being a member for fifteen years, he became the president of the Tattersalls Club.[13]

He was also involved with the Southport Golf Club for many years and the family had a holiday home called 'Niarda' in Southport where they hosted bridge parties and entertained guests. The property had extensive views of the Broadwater and was located on the Esplanade in the vicinity of the Southport Croquet Club.[14][15][16][17][18]

In 1939 he was appointed to the Defence Works Advisory Panel started by the Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies to make economies and hasten essential construction activities during World War II.[19][20]

Hall died on 15 December 1950.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Job, William J. (2002). The Building of Brisbane: 1828-1940. University of Queensland Press. p. 58.
  2. ↑ "£21.114 Estate". The Courier-Mail (4695). Queensland, Australia. 14 December 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ Hogan, Janet. "Hall, Thomas Ramsay (1879–1950)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "DEATH OF VETERAN ARCHITECT". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser (21,016). Queensland, Australia. 20 March 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ De Vries, Susanna; De Vries, Jake (2013). Historic Brisbane: Convict Settlement to River City. Boolarong Press.
  6. ↑ "WEDDING AT SANDGATE.". The Telegraph (11,641). Queensland, Australia. 10 March 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Family Notices". The Brisbane Courier (23,291). Queensland, Australia. 22 September 1932. p. 18. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "CHAPEL WEDDING AT SOUTHPORT". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 13 January 1940. p. 12 (LATE WEEK END FINAL ALL THE NEWS). Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Back from U.S A.". The Telegraph (15543). Queensland, Australia. 21 September 1922. p. 2 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "DEATH OF WELL-KNOWN BRISBANE ARCHITECT.". Construction. New South Wales, Australia. 27 December 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Practice". Phillips Smith Conwell. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Musket Villa (entry 601741)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Turf Gossip and Selections". Daily Standard (4973). Queensland, Australia. 24 August 1928. p. 8 (3 p.m. EDITION). Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "No title". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 7 January 1935. p. 14 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS). Retrieved 27 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "FAREWELL TEA.". Queensland Figaro. XXXV, (49). Queensland, Australia. 7 December 1929. p. 9. Retrieved 27 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ↑ "COCKTAIL PARTY". South Coast Bulletin. 12, (614). Queensland, Australia. 12 January 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 27 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "SOUTHPORT.". The Brisbane Courier (22,695). Queensland, Australia. 24 October 1930. p. 24. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "SOUTHPORT.". The Brisbane Courier (22,409). Queensland, Australia. 22 November 1929. p. 22. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "MR. T. R. HALL". South Coast Bulletin. 11, (588). Queensland, Australia. 14 July 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ↑ "DEFENCE WORKS.". The Northern Herald. 105, (1370). Queensland, Australia. 15 July 1939. p. 16. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ↑ "Architect, 71, dies in city". The Courier-Mail (4386). Queensland, Australia. 16 December 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 26 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
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