Frank Cullen
Frank Cullen (2 February 1909 – 2 November 1991) was an Australian architect, who designed over 200 churches, schools, monasteries, convents and other church related buildings in Queensland and Northern New South Wales, Australia.
Frank Cullen
- Born
- 1909
- Died
- 1991
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Frank Cullen (2 February 1909 – 2 November 1991) was an Australian architect, who designed over 200 churches, schools, monasteries, convents and other church related buildings in Queensland and Northern New South Wales, Australia.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Frank Cullen. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q75041557 · wikipedia · Frank Cullen
In this article
Early life
Early life
Francis Leo Cullen was born on 2 February 1909 in Albion, Brisbane, Queensland to Frank Cullen and his wife Elizabeth Duhig, the sister of Catholic Archbishop James Duhig. He was educated at St Joseph's Gregory Terrace.
Career
Career
Frank studied his Diploma in Architecture from the Brisbane Central Technical College. He was an articled pupil of Sydney architectural firm, Hennessy, Hennessy and Company from 1928 to 1933. Cullen then went on to work for the Queensland Government as draughtsman from 1933 to 1934. He became assistant architect with H.V.M Brown of Mackay from 1934–35 and then formed his own partnership of Cullen and Egan from 1937 to 1941. He received a number of commissions through his contacts with the Roman Catholic Church Archbishop James Duhig. In the 1960s, he was a partner in Cullen, Fagg, Hargraves and Mooney. They took on a number of church design projects.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Cullen married Mary Cronin in April 1941. Cullen on died 2 November 1991 and is buried in Glamorgan Vale Cemetery.
Notable works
Notable works
• Church, Somerset Dam via Esk (1936) • St Luke's Church, Woolloongabba (1936) • St Columba's Church, Wilston (1936) • Holy Spirit School, New Farm (1937) • St Sebastian's School, Yeronga (1937) • Villa Maria extension (1938) • St Joseph's School, North Ipswich (1939) • St Mary's School, Beaudesert (1939) • Kenilworth Hotel, Kenilworth (1939) • Bribie Hotel, Bribie Island (1940) • St Philomena's Catholic Church, Basin Pocket, Ipswich (1940) • Mount St Michael's School, Ashgrove (1941) • Christian Brothers’ College, Greenslopes (1941) • Nurses Home, Mater Hospital, Bundaberg (1945) • Monto Hospital, Nurses Quarters, Monto (1948) • Marist Brothers College, Rosalie (1948) • St Peters School, Rockhampton (1950) • Star of the Sea School, Gladstone (1950) • Sisters of Mercy Convent, Bardon (1950) • St Joseph's Catholic Church, Nambour (1951) • Our Lady of the Assumption Infant's School, Enoggera (1955) • St Finbarr's Church, Ashgrove (1957) • McAuley Hall, All Hallows School, Brisbane (1958) • St Monica's Church, Tugun (1959) • St Joseph's School, Murgon (1962) • St John's Church, Northgate (1962) • Memorial Church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Coorparoo (1963–64) • Our Lady of Dolours Church, Mitchelton (1964)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
Frank Cullen born.
1991
Frank Cullen died.
Legacy
Approximately 1500 architectural plans and drawings from the firm of Cullen and Partners are held in the University of Queensland Fryer Library.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Frank Cullen”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q75041557: Frank Cullen
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Frank Cullen Architect & Old Boy. The Terracian. 9. December 2017.
- 2.Mr. Frank Cullen. Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933). 12. 26 May 1932.
- 3.DRAMAS OF THE COURTS. Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954). 49. 14 May 1950.
- 4.JUNIOR UNIVERSITY RESULTS. Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947). 2. 26 December 1924.
- 5.One Question Only For Jury In Cathedral Claim. Warwick Daily News (Qld. : 1919 -1954). 3. 13 May 1950.
- 6.Watson, Donald and McKay, Judith. Directory of Queensland Architects to 1940. espace.library.uq.edu.au. 1984.
- 7.Andersen, Lisa. Responses in ecclesiology : examples of Brisbane church building design in the 1960s. University of Queensland. 2000.
- 8.Frank L. Cullen Architectural drawings - Fryer Manuscripts. manuscripts.library.uq.edu.au.
- 9.St Luke's Catholic Church Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 10.History of St Columba's Catholic Church in Wilston Kedron Brook Catholic Community. 31 October 2018.
- 11.Holy Spirit School Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 12.St Sebastian's Church School (former) Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 13.Brisbane City Council HeritageTrails. Reminisce in Rosalie.
- 14.Our Lady Star of the Sea Church & School. apps.des.qld.gov.au. 9 June 2015.
- 15.11. St Joseph's Church Sunshine Coast Open House. sunshinecoastopenhouse.com.au.
- 16.School History. www.olaenoggera.qld.edu.au.
- 17.St Finbarr's Catholic Church Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 18.All Hallows' Convent and School. apps.des.qld.gov.au. 9 June 2015.
- 19.Wrobel, Kerrie. History of Coolangatta –Tugun Catholic Parish. 1999.
- 20.BLESSING AND OPENING CEREMONIES PERFORMED AT MURGON, CHERBOURG. Catholic Leader. 1 November 1962.
- 21.St John's Church Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 22.The Memorial Church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 23.Our Lady of Dolours Church Heritage Places. heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
- 24.Cited in the source article.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Design
11,558 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Frank Charles PeyraudDesigner
- Frank ChestertonDesigner
- Frank Chouteau BrownDesigner
- Frank CounsellDesigner
- Frank D. ArmsDesigner
- Frank DarlingDesigner
- Frank De MartiniDesigner
- Frank Delos WolfeDesigner
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Frank Cullen?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.