Samuel Charles Brittingham facts for kids

Samuel Charles Brittingham (1860 – 12 November 1944) was an important architect. He was born in Britain but did most of his amazing work in Australia during the early 1900s. He designed many public buildings, including schools, post offices, and even parts of a university.

Samuel Brittingham's Early Life and Work

Samuel Brittingham started his journey in education. From 1875 to 1879, he was a student in the Victorian Education Department. After that, he worked as an assistant there from 1879 to 1885. In 1886, he joined the Victorian Public Works Department. This department was in charge of building many important public structures.

In 1906, Samuel passed a special test from the Royal Institute of British Architects in London. This showed he was a skilled and qualified architect.

Designing Important Public Buildings

Samuel Brittingham became the Victorian Government Architect. This meant he was responsible for designing many important public buildings across Victoria. Some of his famous designs include:

• The Old Arts Building at Melbourne University (built 1919–1924)
• The Parkville Post Office
• The Bourke Street West Police Station

The Old Arts Building at Melbourne University, designed by Samuel Brittingham.

He also designed some of the first buildings in Australia's national parks. For example, he designed the rangers' house (1909) and the visitors' Chalet (1923) at Wilsons Promontory National Park. It is also believed that he designed the famous Mount Buffalo Chalet.

Ideas for City Planning

Samuel Brittingham was not just about designing buildings. He also thought about how cities could work better. In 1918, he suggested a plan to help with traffic in Melbourne. He proposed building a bridge to extend Exhibition Street over the Jolimont railway yards. This idea was very forward-thinking, as a similar extension, called CityLink, was built 80 years later.

He also helped create a new planning scheme for the Morwell coal fields. This showed his interest in how towns and areas could be organized for the future.

Samuel Brittingham's Family Life

Samuel Brittingham's parents were William and Ann Amelia Brittingham. He had several siblings, including Walter Edgar Brittingham, Elizabeth, Rachel, May, and Alfred Furkess.

Samuel was married to Mrs. Lily Edith Brittingham. She passed away in 1937 at their home in Hawthorn. They had two sons: Dr. L. C. Brittingham and Mr. G. J. Brittingham.

Samuel Brittingham passed away on November 12, 1944, at his home in Hawthorn. He was 84 years old. He had worked in public service for 47 years. He was buried at Kew Cemetery.

Notable Architectural Works

Samuel Brittingham designed or helped design many buildings and projects. Here are some of his key works:

• Morwell Town Planning Scheme
• Old Burke Street West Police Station (with S.E. Bindley) (1887-1889)
• Parkville Post Office and Quarters (with S.E. Brindley) (1889)
• Central Telephone Exchange, Melbourne (1907-1909)
• Mount Buffalo Chalet (1910) – He likely designed this and inspected it for extensions in 1924.
• Fairfield Primary School (1910)
• Maryborough High School (1912)
• The Box Hill Primary School (1919)
• Women's VD Clinic 'Septic Clinic for Women' (1919)
• Old Arts Building (Melbourne University) (1921)
• Horsham Base Hospital (1926)