Ken Woolley b. 1933

  • Architect
Ken Woolley (1933–2015) was a leading Sydney architect of major public buildings and innovative residences. He worked for the Government Architect's Branch of the NSW Public Works Department from the early 1950s to early 1960s, then designed project houses for Pettit and Sevitt. In 1964 he became a partner of Ancher Mortlock Murray and Woolley.

Ken Woolley (1933–2015) studied architecture at the University of Sydney under a trainee scholarship from the Government Architect’s Branch and graduated with first class honours and the University Medal in 1955, With Peter Webber, he was a founding member of the design team in Harry Rembert’s Design Room at the GAB, where he designed a variety of major buildings, including the University of Sydney’s Fisher Library, the State Office Block, Macquarie Street, and St Margaret’s Chapel and Nurses Home, Surry Hills. In 1955, he travelled to the United States and Europe on a NSW RAIA Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship, returning to the Government Architects Branch in 1957. His own house at Mosman (1962) won the NSW RAIA Wilkinson Award and paved the way for a private practice designing project homes for Pettit and Sevitt. In 1964, he joined Ancher Mortlock Murray as a partner; the firm was renamed Ancher Mortlock Murray and Woolley in 1976. His key buildings for this practice included the Australian Embassy, Bangkok; Town Hall House, Sydney; the Park Hyatt, Campbells Cove; the ABC Centre, Ultimo; the Victorian State Library extension, Melbourne; the control tower at Sydney Airport; the RAS exhibition halls, hockey stadium and Olympics indoor sports stadium at Homebush and the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. Woolley has been a visiting professor at the Universities of Sydney and New South Wales and has served on numerous awards and competition juries. He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1988 and was awarded the RAIA’s Gold Medal in 1993. He travelled to England, Europe and the USA, 1955-1956; UK, Europe, USA and Japan 1965; USA, Canada and Mexico 1968; Southeast Asia repeatedly 1973-1976.
Sources
—Ancher Mortlock Murray & Woolley project database under construction by Anne Higham for the NSW RAIA 20th Century Buildings Committee.
—Ancher Mortlock Woolley website www.amwarchitects.com.au
—Dobney, Stephen (ed.). 1999. Master Architect Series IV. Ken Woolley and Ancher Mortlock Woolley. Mulgrave, Vic: Images Publishing.
—Saunders, David and Catherine Burke. 1976. Ancher, Mortlock, Murray, Woolley: Sydney Architects 1946-1976. Sydney: Power Institute of Fine Arts, University of Sydney. In the collection of Julie Cracknell.
—Taylor, Jennifer. 1990. Australian Architecture Since 1960. Canberra: Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

Writers:

Davina Jackson
Date written:
2015
Last updated:
2015