Colin Madigan facts for kids

Colin Frederick Madigan was a very important Australian architect. He was born on 22 July 1921 and passed away on 17 September 2011. He is most famous for designing the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

About Colin Madigan

Colin Madigan was born in Glen Innes, New South Wales. He studied architecture at Sydney Technical College from 1939 to 1941.

In 1941, he joined the Royal Australian Navy. He was one of the few people who survived when the ship HMAS Armidale sank in 1942. This happened near Timor during World War II.

After the war, in 1951, Madigan started an architecture firm. He teamed up with Maurice Edwards and Jack Torzillo. Their company was called Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Partners. They mostly worked on public buildings. These included public housing, libraries, schools, and offices.

One of their early successes was the Warringah Council Library. This building is in Dee Why, New South Wales. It won a major award for architecture in 1966. The award was called the Sir John Sulman Medal.

In 1968, Madigan's firm won a big design competition. They were chosen to design the National Gallery of Australia. This building is one of his most well-known works.

Later, Madigan also helped with the building of the High Court of Australia Building. He supervised its construction after the original designer, Christopher Kringas, passed away. Madigan's firm also entered a competition to design the new Parliament House in Canberra. Their design was one of the finalists.

Colin Madigan retired from his work in 1989.

He also wrote a book about his experience during the war. The book was about the sinking of HMAS Armidale in 1942. It was called Armidale '42 : a survivor's account.

In his later years, Madigan strongly disagreed with plans to build a new entrance to the National Gallery of Australia. He passed away in Bangalow, New South Wales, in 2011, at the age of 90.

Awards and Honours

Colin Madigan received many important awards for his work.

In 1981, he was given a Gold Medal. This award came from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. It is one of the highest honours for an architect in Australia.

He was also made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1984. This is a special honour given to Australians who have achieved a lot. In 2001, he received the Centenary Medal.