MCINTYRE ARCHITECTS
100 YEARS
RH ...
RH - school football team - back row 3rd from left
McIntyres first building 1917 - “My little grey home in the West”
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RH - AIF enrollment 1916 - age 21
At the age of 21 years, (Bob) Robert Henry McIntyre, joined the A.I.F.in 1916 and after a short period of training at Queenscliff, he was shipped to England and then France. It was in France that he was to design and build his first building, which he deemed “My little grey home in the West”. He is photographed outside it with his two Engineering mates. A short time after this he was injured and shipped back to England then on a Hospital Ship to Australia. During this period he was informed that both his wife and son had died during child-birth.
RH - with spade
On returning to Melbourne he gradually recovered his health and completed his studies. In 1920 at the age of 25 he commenced practice in partnership with an Engineer, Mr H. Joy – firm titled ‘Joy McIntyre’ – at 121 Williams Street Melbourne.
Photograph of ‘R.H.’ sitting at his desk when the firm had just completed the 1st reinforced concrete construction. The firm concentrated on Hotel renovation work. These post war years were exciting times and the firm was successful. ‘R.H.’ married Ellen Cummane in 1925 and built the family home in McCartney Avenue Kew. His son was born two years later in 1927. He had a wife and son and a mortgage – the full catastrophe!
‘RH’ sitting at his desk 1923
RH - at office - Little Collins
RH - with aunts 1920
1929 was the beginning of the Depression which was devastating. Mr H. Joy resigned and ‘R.H.’ continued to work under the title of ‘R.H. McIntyre, Architect; at Henty House, Little Collins Street, Melbourne. It was also a momentous year when his brother (ten years younger), Stewart Kipling McIntyre (Jack) joined the firm, fulltime. He had been an outstanding student at Melbourne University, Architecture Atelier and had worked part-time in the Office while he was a student. He brought a new ‘lease of life’ to the office as work gradually increased from the 1930s. This culminated in the Prince of Wales Hotel, St Kilda (1939) completed just before the 2nd World War. In 1932, Robt Peter McIntyre (son of ‘R.H.’) became the office boy at seven years old. By the time he was 12 years old, he could trace plans of existing Hotels at the Licensing Court Archive and return to the office and prepare a Sketch plan, then take it to the Printers in Market Street for a ‘Blue-Print’. The Prince Of Wales Hotel
Rosebud Hotel
Peter McIntyre 1945
The War years 1939 – 1945 were in a way similar to the Depression Years. All civil building works virtually ceased and any construction was all war related. The Office closed and opened again in 1943 when the War started to take a turn for the better.
River House - 1952
Sea House
Stargazer House 1950
This was the year Peter McIntyre left School at 16 and ‘R.H.’ enrolled him in 1st year Architecture at Melbourne Technical School. Six years later he graduated at Melbourne University (1939). During the non-teaching times he continued to work in the McIntyre Office. This was the time he was tutored by Roy Grounds and Robin Boyd in the new Architectural course created by Professor Brian Lewis (the occupant of the ‘Age’ Architectural Chare, University of Melbourne).
Olympic Pool - Collingwood Football Club Sea House- Mornington
Sea House- Mornington
Immediately after the 1949 Graduation, Peter McIntyre started his own Practise at No.1 Drummond Street, Carlton. There was an immediate desire to create buildings, inspired by Grounds, Boyd and others in the magical years of 1947 – 1950. Kevin Borland, Peter’s best friend, shared the same office and each ran their own jobs, but they supported each other in those early months.
Olympic Pool 1954
In 1952, Peter and Kevin, with John Murphy won the Olympic Pool Competition and two years later Peter married Architect, Dione Cohen who joined his Practise which become Peter and Dione McIntyre, Architects.
Olympic Pool 1956
McIntyre, Borland, Murphy - 1952
Olympic Pool 1956
Jack McIntyre
In 1960, a new office building was built at 6 Murphy Street, South Yarra to house the two offices. A short while after 1965, ‘R.H.’ retired and Peter took over the Practise and titled it, McIntyre & McIntyre, Architects with Peter, Jack and Dione being the Principals. In 1969. The office moved back to the City to service a series of Office Buildings.
River House
Dione Mcintyre - 1972
The 1970’s were a very expansive time for the Practise. The
Architectural staff numbered over 100 and the separate Planning Office was also expanding. However, most Planning projects were being carried out by Local Government and the success of the Melbourne Strategy Plan saw many Councills undertaking the preparation of their own Planning Schemes. Strategic Planning was a new process and not fully understood. Many bad decisions were being made. It was decided to close the Planning section and generally reduce the size of the office.
The office had developed a Planning Section within the Architectural
Practice and was successful in winning the commission to prepare The Melbourne Strategy Plan. The office was moved to the top floor of Marland House in Bourke Street and a separate Planning Company ‘Interplan’ was created with international partners.
Melbourne Strategy Plan
McIntyre Hawthorn office - 1978
In 1978 the office moved to a factory renovated by Robin Boyd in Church Street, Hawthorn. A decision was made to move away from Statutory and Strategic Planning. The office undertook the design and development of a 5,000 Bed new town named Dinner Plain Village in the Australian Alps. Peter and Dione’s son Robert graduated in Architecture and joined the firm and worked on the Dinner Plain project. This project culminated in winning the A.I.A. Sir Zelman Cowen Award.
Peter McIntyre - Ski Practrice
Dinner Plain - Open for Inspection
Robert Mcintyre
Dinner Plain was a 10 year program and dominated the Practise.
We decided the family property in Kew was more suitable for all the social interactions that were required to develop a new town. Also Peter was appointed to the Chair of Architecture at Melbourne University with the specific task of re-structuring the course. The appointment allowed him to continue with his Practise at the same time. Trinity Grammar School
River House
Sea House
Brunt House
Beulah Hospital 1954
Parliment Station
Peter and Dione’s daughter Anne McIntyre, graduated and joined the Practise. Robt McIntyre married Architect, Mel Bright and together they have established a very successful Practise in a separate building, but on the same Kew site. Peter and Dione have reached the ages of 86 and 92 and coming to their retirement. The Practise has now reached 100 years and its future is unknown.