Winsome Hall Andrew facts for kids

Winsome Hall Andrew (1905–1997) was an amazing Australian architect. An architect is someone who designs buildings. Winsome Hall Andrew helped create many important buildings in Australia and even in London. She was one of the first women to become a successful architect in Australia.

Early Life and Education

Winsome Hall Andrew was born in Woollahra, New South Wales in 1905. She was one of ten children in her family. Her father worked for the government, and her mother came from a wealthy family. Winsome's father expected his children to work hard and do their best.

Winsome was a very bright student at Sydney Girls High School. She was excellent in her studies and also good at sports. Because she did so well, she won a special scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to study architecture at the University of Sydney. She started university in 1922 and finished in 1928. Winsome was the only woman in her class studying architecture. She was also the only woman from her year who found a job as an architect after graduating!

Starting Her Architecture Career

Life at university was a great time for Winsome. She enjoyed going to plays and dances. She also started to build her career in architecture. After finishing her studies, she began working on real building projects.

Important Buildings Winsome Hall Andrew Helped Design

Winsome Hall Andrew worked on many different buildings. Sometimes she designed them herself, and other times she was part of a team. Here are some of her notable projects:

• St. Ignatius Church (1933): She helped draft the plans for this church in Taralga, New South Wales.
• Stockleigh Hall (1934): In London, she was a senior assistant on this project.
• Police Section House residential block (1936): She was a key leader on this building in London.
• Manly Surf Life Saving Pavilion (1939): This famous building in Manly, New South Wales, was designed by Winsome and Eric W. Andrew. It was a place for surf lifesavers and had a dance hall. Sadly, it was taken down in 1990.
• Embassy of the United States (1939): Winsome helped draw the plans for the American Embassy in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
• Australian Institute of Builders Headquarters (1956): She worked with Eric W. Andrew on this building in Canberra.

Awards and Recognition

Winsome Hall Andrew received several awards for her excellent work in architecture:

• 1934: She won a medal from the RIBA competitions for her work on Stockleigh Hall.
• 1936: She won another RIBA competitions Medal for the Police Section House residential block.
• 1939: She won the Sulman Award, a very important architecture prize, for the Manly Surf Pavilion.
• 1948: Her design for Anzac House came in second place in a competition.

Winsome Hall Andrew was a true pioneer. She showed that women could achieve great things in fields like architecture, which were mostly for men at the time. Her work helped shape many important buildings and inspired future generations.

Images for kids

• 

  Inside the Manly Surf Life Saving Pavilion

• 

  The Embassy of the United States in Canberra