Margaret Feilman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Feilman
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 21 June 1921 |
| Died | 24 September 2013 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Practice | Architecture, town planner |
Margaret Anne Feilman (born 21 June 1921, died 24 September 2013) was a very important Australian architect and town planner. She was the first woman to become a town planner in Perth, Western Australia. Margaret also worked as a landscape designer.
She helped start the Western Australian Town Planning Institute in 1950. She believed it was important to teach everyone about good town planning. One of her biggest achievements was designing and building the new town of Kwinana. She also helped rebuild Darwin and Papua New Guinea after World War II.
Early Life and Education
Margaret Feilman grew up in the Southwest Region of Western Australia. Her parents were Herbert Bernard and Ethel Anne Feilman. In 1938, she made history by becoming the first female cadet in the Public Works Department of Western Australia.
She studied at the University of Western Australia and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1943. She then studied at Perth Technical College. In 1945, she passed her final exams to become a registered architect.
Becoming a Town Planner
Margaret received a special scholarship from the British Council in 1948. This allowed her to study town planning in England. In 1950, she completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Town Planning at the University of Durham.
After her studies, she returned to Perth. She opened her own business, working as both an architect and a town planner. In 1952, she designed the new town of Kwinana for the state Public Works Department. This town was planned to house 25,000 people who would work in local industries.
Protecting Australian Heritage
Margaret Feilman was also very passionate about protecting important historical places. In 1959, she helped start the Western Australian branch of the National Trust of Australia. This group works to save and protect places that are important to Australia's history and culture.
Later, in 1976, she became one of the first Commissioners on the Australian Heritage Commission. She helped create the Register of the National Estate, which lists all the important heritage sites in Australia. Margaret also supported teaching about heritage conservation in Australian universities.
Margaret Feilman passed away on 24 September 2013, leaving behind a great legacy in architecture and town planning.
