| History | Refers to the professional firms: Woods Bagot (1), W. H. Bagot (2), Woods Bagot Jory (3), Woods Bagot Jory and Laybourne Smith (4), and Woods Bagot Laybourne Smith and Irwin (5). Comprised of: Edward John Woods (1839-1916), Walter Hervey Bagot (1880-1963), Harold Herbert Jory (1888-1966), Louis Edouard Laybourne Smith (1880-1965), and Sir James Campbell Irwin (1906-1990).
Edward John Woods was born in London in 1839. Woods decided to emigrate to South Australia and arrived in Port Adelaide in 1860. His South Australian architectural career began as a draughtsman for Edmund Wright soon becoming a partner in the practice of Wright and Woods. This partnership lasted about four years. In 1869 the partnership was dissolved and Woods worked as a sole practitioner. Woods then formed a partnership with William McMinn. In about 1873 Woods joined the public service as an architect to the Council of Education, simultaneously maintaining his private practice. He was subsequently appointed Architect-in-Chief of South Australia in 1877. He left the government in 1884 and in 1905 began a partnership with Walter Bagot, who had been a former pupil with the practice being named Woods & Bagot. Walter Hervey Bagot was born on 17 March 1880 at North Adelaide. He was articled to Adelaide architect Edward John Woods in 1899 for his architectural training. In 1902 he left for the United Kingdom where he had studied architecture at the Kings College, University of London.
In 1906 Bagot had helped Louis Laybourne Smith to found the School of Architecture at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries (now University of South Australia) and subsequently lectured there in architectural history until 1911. Both men have been remembered as having ‘towered above their contemporaries’ (Irwin 1980, p.21).
The partnership between Woods and Bagot lasted from 1905 until 1913. Edward Woods died on 5 January 1916, following a decline in his health. Two years later in 1915, Herbert Harold Jory became a partner and the practice was known as Woods, Bagot & Jory until 1917 when Louis Laybourne Smith was offered a partnership and accepted. The partnership of Woods, Bagot, Jory & Laybourne Smith continued until 1930 when Jory left to practise on his own. In 1932 James Campbell Irwin was admitted as a partner and the practice was then reconstituted as Woods, Bagot, Laybourne Smith & Irwin. Bagot stoped being an active partner ‘some five or six years before he officially retired’ (Irwin 1980, p.34). Bagot died on 27 July 1963 at North Adelaide aged 83.
The practice continues today as one of Australia’s largest architectural firms and is called Woods Bagot continuing the names of its two founding partners.
[Note: The State Library of South Australia holds records of Woods Bagot Architects 1882-1975 in BRG 18, including letter books, account books, partnership records, photographs, brochures, plans and drawings, and a list of works executed.] |