Dimity Reed facts for kids

Dimity Reed is an amazing Australian architect, urban planner, and teacher. Born in 1942 in Parkes, New South Wales, she has helped shape cities and communities. She also advised the government and wrote for newspapers like The Sun and The Age.

Early Life and Inspiration

Dimity Reed was born in 1942. She was the middle child in her family. Her father worked at a local Coles store. Later, he served in the war in New Guinea.

After the war, in 1946, her family moved to Victoria. They lived in South Melbourne. Dimity, her mother, and her older brother stayed in a boarding house. Her grandmother ran this house for people who moved around for work.

During this time, many neighbors were losing their homes. Landlords were selling properties to developers. This experience deeply affected Dimity. It made her passionate about designing homes for people with low or no income.

Education Journey

Dimity went to school at Melbourne Girls Grammar School. After finishing high school, she started studying architecture at Melbourne University.

She got married during her second year of university. By her fifth year, she was expecting her first child. This meant she had to pause her studies and career.

Ten years later, after having three children, Dimity returned to university. She completed her Masters of Architecture at RMIT University.

A Career in Architecture and Planning

After graduating, Dimity worked for architect Kevin Borland. But she always dreamed of having her own business. Kevin supported her, even giving her a project to start her own practice. For many years, she worked alone, mostly on home and office renovations.

Helping Communities with Housing

In 1982, Dimity received an important call. A government minister asked her to become a housing commissioner. This role meant she would help manage housing for the state.

Dimity worked to improve housing for people. She invited young architects like Peter Corrigan and Greg Burgess. They designed new homes on old blocks in Carlton. Many of these homes are still standing today. She also looked at tall apartment buildings in areas like Broadmeadows. She wanted to make sure these buildings worked well for the people living in them.

Breaking Barriers for Women

Dimity was also a leader in helping women in architecture. She started an organization called Women in Architecture. Its goal was to support female talent in a field mostly dominated by men. She contacted every woman who had graduated with an architecture degree in Victoria. These meetings led to great partnerships between women.

As the group grew, some women decided to run for the board of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA). Four women were elected, and Dimity became the first female president of the RAIA (Victorian Chapter). In this role, she encouraged younger architects to get involved. She promoted their new ideas for the city of Melbourne.

Later Projects and Writing

Dimity continued to work on many important projects. She was part of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees. They helped commission the new underground 'Galleries of Remembrance'.

She also loved writing about architecture. She got her first writing job at The Sun newspaper. She wrote a weekly page about architecture in Melbourne. This led to her writing for The Age newspaper and co-publishing books.

Recognition and Awards

Dimity Reed has received many awards for her work. In 2023, the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects renamed an award after her. It is now called the Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize. This award recognizes her important contributions to urban design and architecture in Melbourne.

She also received the Member Order of Australia in 2006. This was for her work in urban design, affordable housing, and sustainable housing.

Notable Contributions

Even though she had her own architecture practice, Dimity mostly focused on urban planning. She advised many planning and government boards. She also shared her ideas about architecture in Melbourne's newspapers. She was even the head of design and a professor of urban design at RMIT.

Revitalizing Dandenong City

In 2007, Dimity and a small team began a big project. They worked to revitalize Dandenong City. Dimity described Dandenong as going through an "Urban Depression." In 2006, the government promised $290 million to help Dandenong. Dimity explained that renovating a city is like renovating a house. The main difference is that the city project is much bigger and takes a lot longer.

Current Activities

Dimity has retired from architecture. However, she is still very active on the HomeGround board. This organization helps people find housing when they have low or no income. This shows her continued passion for helping others.

She also runs her own film production company, Mad Women Films. She works with her two sons, who are filmmakers. They recently released a series of films about Wagner's four Ring operas. These films explain how Wagner used music to tell his complex stories.

Professional Roles

• Architect, Kevin Borland and Associates, 1972–77
• Director, Dimity Reed & Associates
• Head, Department of Design & Professor of Urban Design, RMIT, 1992–2001
• Commissioner, Housing Commission of Victoria, 1978–1982
• Councillor, City of St Kilda, 1992–94
• Commissioner, City of Moreland, 1994–96
• Founding member of the Association of Women in Architecture, 1978
• RAIA State President, Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Victorian Chapter), 1984–86

See also

• Australian Institute of Architects
• Melbourne Prize