John Lee Archer
| John Archer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Lee Archer 26 April 1791 Chatham, Kent, England |
| Died | 4 December 1852 (aged 61) Stanley, Tasmania, Australia |
| Resting place | Circular Head Cemetery |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Civil Engineer and Colonial Architect, magistrate and public servant in Van Diemen's Land |
| Years active | 1827-1838 (architect), 1838-1852 (magistrate) |
| Known for | Design of Georgian Renaissance and Gothic Revival public buildings, many handmade by convict labour, made typically with sandstone and brick, constructed in Hobart and throughout Tasmania |
| Spouse(s) | Sophia Mattinson |
John Lee Archer (26 April 1791 near Chatham, Kent, England – 4 December 1852 in Stanley, Tasmania, Australia) was the Civil Engineer and Colonial Architect in Van Diemen's Land, serving from 1827 to 1838. During his tenure, Archer was responsible for all Tasmanian government buildings including those for penal and military purposes.
His major architectural works include Parliament House, Hobart, the Treasury and the Audit Department buildings in Hobart, the Ordnance Stores in Salamanca Place, several buildings at Anglesea Barracks; St John's Church, New Town; the nave of St. George's Church at Battery Point; Old Trinity (the Penitentiary Chapel) in Hobart; St Luke's Presbyterian Church at Bothwell, St Luke's Church of England at Richmond; and parts of the Campbell Street Gaol, Hobart. His major engineering work was the stone bridge which still carries the Midland Highway over the Macquarie River at Ross.
John Lee Archer, born 26 April 1791, was a notable architect whose work helped shape the development of the townships of Tasmania during early settlement. He was the only son of John Archer, an Irish engineer from County Tipperary, and his wife Charlotte Lee, formerly of Kent, England.
The first records show that Archer, at the age of 18, was taught under the guidance of Charles Beazley, an architect based in London. Commencing in April 1809, Archer remained under Beazley's instruction for the duration of his three-year term of articles before moving on to the office of John Rennie the Elder in April 1813 in the position of drawing clerk. Archer's employment with Rennie was terminated in 1818, he returned to Ireland and worked as an engineer for over 8 years, building his reputation. Following his father's death in 1822 and the ongoing strain of the economic depression of the time, Archer sought to find employment elsewhere. His opportunity came in December 1826 when John Rennie's son recommended Archer for the position of Colonial Architect in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) as the need arose for the development of public buildings and offices to accommodate the growing convict and free-settler population of Van Diemen's Land.
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