Colonial Architect and Assistant Engineer in Chief at the Public Works Department from 1891 until his return to private practice in 1896.
Temple-Poole was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel J. George Temple and Dame Louisa Poole. He was born in Rome, the Godson of Secretary for the Colonies, Lord Derby. His father died as the result of the Crimean War and his mother married a Poole cousin changing her son’s name to Temple-Poole.
He was educated at Winchester College and commissioned in the Hampshire Regiment. He studied architecture, civil engineering and mechanical engineering in London while articled to George Judge, Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, United Kingdom and then worked for a period in Ceylon.
He married first Beatrice, n_e Banger, of Hampshire and after her death Daisy Rossi. He was appointed by Lord Derby as Superintendent of Public Works in Western Australia in June 1885. Temple-Poole was appointed Director of Public works in 1888 and in 1891 Colonial Architect, then Asst. Engineer-In-Chief. There were only four people in his office at this time and 168 when he resigned.
Temple-Poole was responsible for many government projects including the Albany Courthouse and Post Office, public buildings in Coolgardie, Cue and Marble Bar, post offices and police stations over much of the State. Many are now heritage listed.
He designed privately from 1897, when John Grainger took his place. Temple-Poole retired from the Public Service in 1897, travelled in Europe, and when he returned in 1899 went into private practice with offices in St Georges Terrace.
He was President of the West Australian Institute of Architects 1896-97, 1900-02, 1905-06 & 1913-14. From 1902-5 he was a councillor at Claremont, where he lived with his first wife Beatrice, who died in 1914. His residence from 1910-14 was “Wingfield”, Claremont Ave, Claremont. He later built “Tagel” in Crawley when he married Daisy Rossi in 1918.
In 1911 he exhibited a number of black and white illustrations with the West Australian Society of Arts. His exhibit in 1912 was described “The Orangery by Mr G. T. Poole is a clever piece of work.” He was a member of the Western Institute of Artists and exhibited with them in the Art Gallery in 1921.
- Writers:
- Dr Dorothy Erickson
- Date written:
- 2010
- Last updated:
- 2011
