The Wilson Old Boys Designing Brisbane

Written by Kloe Phelan

Wilson Architects, founded in 1884, is one of the world’s oldest continuous architecture firms, and is carried by a masterful lineage of BGS Old Boys. It all started when a young Alexander Brown ‘A.B.’ Wilson immigrated from Scotland to Brisbane, in 1864. A.B. soon became renowned for his intricate watercolour, pen and ink depictions of waterscapes and local architecture.

He honed his technical skills as much as possible and this determination landed him prestigious commissions, such as St Stephen’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on Elizabeth Street, South Brisbane’s Plough Inn, and the iconic Home at Kangaroo

Point — many of which remain landmarks today.

Ensuring son Ronald was afforded the opportunity of a good education, A.B. enrolled him at BGS for his senior years. After finishing school in 1900, Ron soon became his father’s Chief Architectural Assistant, going on to achieve myriad awards and architectural feats of his own, including Somerville House and South Brisbane Memorial Park.

All this despite enduring the effects of war.

His interest in planning and engineering resulted in Ron being an early graduate of the University of Queensland’s new School of Engineering, also acquiring a planning degree from London’s Architectural Association. As part of the cross-river commission, Ron established the location for the Story and Grey Street bridges and was a primary advocate for developing ANZAC Square.

Ron’s son Blair, Old Boy of ’48, reinvigorated the firm pencil in hand. Blair went on to receive the Queensland Institute of Architects’ Medal; breathed life to Brisbane’s beloved La Boite Theatre and the School of Science at Griffith University’s Nathan Campus, and was national president of the Australian Institute of Architects.

The first of Blair’s three sons, Hamilton Wilson ’78 is the most recent descendant to run with the flame. Recognised widely as one of Australia’s leading architects and Managing Director of the family firm, Hamilton is also an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Architecture at UQ.

This year marks 140 years since the foundation of Wilson Architects, aptly coinciding with the grand opening of the BGS STEAM Precinct.

Renowned for his exceptional design of educational facilities, such as the James Cook University Ideas Lab which received The Harry Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture 2021, Hamilton was excited to collaborate with many BGS students, staff and stakeholders to conceive an exciting new home for the future of STEAM education.

Attending BGS had a formative influence on his design aspirations and directly influenced the conceptualisation of the precinct.

“The school shapes anyone who attends. From a person who’s interested in design, I was incredibly inspired by the Great Hall,” he said.

“Buildings make a difference to your understanding of experience. Part of that experience was going to the old science buildings, which was pretty bleak,” he lamented.

“I’m really proud that we’ve actually solved the problem of circulation around a site that’s on a hill and made sense of that in a way that improves connection across the whole campus,” he said.

The STEAM Precinct recently received the Jennifer Taylor Award at the Queensland Architecture Awards. Wilson Architects also designed the School’s Lilley Centre in 2011.

Hamilton’s elation, however, stems from knowing he has created innovation hubs, where BGS students feel the world is at their fingertips.

“All the work we did, to actually see it come to life and see how the students are using it... means a lot more to me than a peer award. To see how it makes an impact on an educational level, that’s actually way more important.”

His son Old Boy Howard Wilson ’14 is currently pursuing interior architecture in London, following the completion of his Bachelor of Architectural Design degree at UQ.