Burcham Clamp

In 1889 Clamp was awarded its gold medal; that May he was the first student admitted to its membership.

• Name — Burcham Clamp • Birth Name — John Burcham Clamp • Born — 3 November 1869 • Died — 7 July 1931 • Place of death — Cremorne, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Other Names — J. Burcham Clamp • Spouse — Susie Young

Clamp was born in 1869, the son of a hairdresser, John Clamp, and Sophia, née Hunt from Dublin. He was educated at the school of Christ Church St Laurence. In 1883, he became an articled clerk to the architect Henry Kent. He attended evening classes at the University of Sydney and Sydney Technical College. In 1889, while still a student, he was admitted to membership of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales.

In 1899, Clamp went briefly into partnership with T. M. Smith, before establishing an independent practice in 1901 when he set up on his own and became known for efficient planning, competent design and secure construction. By 1910 he had been responsible for St James's Hall, Phillip Street; Victoria Hall, Manly; Lister Private Hospital and nurses' home, Darlinghurst; and such major projects as the enlargement of Winchcombe, Carson Limited's Pyrmont wool store, and Wyoming and Castlereagh chambers in the city. His most controversial commission was to rebuild Farmer & Company's Victoria House in Pitt Street obliterating J. Horbury Hunt's 1874 building which had been acclaimed as 'our finest example of street architecture'. Clamp's meeting with Walter Burley Griffin in the United States of America led to a brief partnership with him in Sydney in 1914. Later he was joined by C. H. Mackellar and they designed several factories and other buildings in 1918-24.In 1914 he was briefly in partnership with Walter Burley Griffin. Between 1918 and 1924 he worked with C. H. Mackellar. Clamp was the building surveyor for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, and many of his buildings were for the diocese. He also built many commercial premises in and around Sydney. An active Anglican and prominent Freemason, Clamp was building surveyor for the diocese of Sydney, and exercised considerable influence in ecclesiastical architecture: among other projects he designed the Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) Chapel, North Sydney, St Matthew's Church, Manly (with Wright and Apperly) and converted a two-storey house at Rushcutters Bay into St Luke's Hospital. He was also a founder and councilor of Cranbrook School, altering the house after its use as the residence of the State governor in 1901-15, designing new buildings and landscaping its grounds. Clamp and (C. H.) Finch were the architects between 1927 and 1930 of Tattersall's Club, Castlereagh Street, the Buckland Memorial Church of England Boys' Home, Carlingford, Canberra Grammar School and the Ainslie Hotel in Canberra. Early in 1930 Clamp's son John replaced Finch. An active member of the local Institute of Architects, Clamp supported the federation of the separate State bodies and in 1907 supported the admission of Florence Parsons as an associate. He was a member of the Town Planning Association of New South Wales, the Martin Place extension committee, Tattersall's, the Millions, and the National clubs. Practicing during two expansion periods in 1901–14 and 1920–28, Clamp's work spanned nineteenth-century romantic and twentieth-century functionalist styles, incorporating distinct designs intended for commercial use. Burcham Clamp died of acute broncho-pneumonia on 7 July 1931 at Cremorne home and was buried in the Anglican section of South Head Cemetery.

On 22 June 1893 John Burcham Clamp married Susie Young at Auburn; They later lived at Cremorne and around 1914 they moved to Greenoaks Avenue, Darling Point. They had a son and three daughters.

The following buildings designed either in part or in full by Burcham Clamp: Buildings designed either in part or in full by Burcham Clamp • Building name — Image — Location — Year completed — Award(s) — Heritage register(s) — Notes • St James' Hall — — Phillip Street, Sydney CBD — 1903 — Demolished in 1961 • Victoria Hall (Part of St Matthew's Church, Manly) — Corner of Darley Road and The Corso, Manly — 1901 — Demolished in 1928 • Lister Private Hospital and Nurses' Home — Darlinghurst — c. 1910 — Demolished in c. 1925 • Wyoming Chambers — 175-181 Macquarie Street, Sydney CBD — 1909 — Local government heritage register • Castlereagh Chambers — 64-68 Castlereagh Street, Sydney CBD — 1914 • Farmer's & Co building (former) — Corner of Pitt and Market Streets, Sydney CBD — 1910 • Sydney Church of England Grammar School Chapel — North Sydney • St Matthew's Church (with Wright and Apperly) — Manly • Sydney Tattersall's Club (with Finch) — Between Castlereagh and Elizabeth Streets, Sydney CBD • Canberra Grammar School (with C. H. Finch) — Canberra • Ainslie Hotel (with C. H. Finch) — Canberra • Richard Johnson Obelisk (with C. H. Finch) — Corner of Hunter, Bligh and Castlereagh Streets, Sydney CBD