George Raymond Johnson

• Name — George Raymond Johnson

Johnson was born in Southgate, England and at age 13 began working with George Hall, Midland Railway architect. At 19 he moved to London, presumably to continue his architectural career. On 24 July 1862 he married Emma Louise Wood and, two days later, the couple embarked on a journey of emigration to Queensland. In 1867, Johnson moved to Melbourne, where he produced most of his major works. Following the bank crash in 1895 he moved to Perth, Western Australia, establishing a practice there. In 1898, while at sea returning to Melbourne, Johnson contracted sepsis, and died. One son, Harry Johnson (1867-1931), also became an architect.

Johnson is known today for the design of a number of town halls across Victoria, notably the impressive Collingwood Town Hall, probably the most elaborate of the grand towered Second Empire style town halls that characterised the boom years of Melbourne in the 1880s. However he achieved most contemporary renown for his theatres in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide (perhaps as many as fifteen), now all demolished. Johnson's greatest contemporary acclaim came from his design for the extensive northern additions to Reed & Barnes's grand 1880 Exhibition Building for the Centennial Exhibition of 1888, removed soon after the Exhibition. Johnson's major works, notably all the town halls and the theatres, were Renaissance Revival in style, and its variations including Free Classical, Italianate, Second Empire or Mannerist. Many were designed "with bold and rich character from Johnson's mannerist palette, an idiom in which he was a master." A few projects adopted different styles, such as the first building for the Hospital for Incurables, now the Austin Hospital, Heidelberg (1881, demolished), which was Venetian Gothic in character, in polychrome brick, while his bluestone cottages for the Old Colonists Home in North Fitzroy (1870) were Gothic. A selection of Johnson's notable buildings are listed below. For a complete list of known works, see the database compiled by Johnson's descendant, architect Peter Johnson, included in Pride of Hotham (Hannan, 2006). • Building — Location — Year — Type — Note • Old Colonists Home — North Fitzroy — 1870 — cottages — extant — • Illustration — View of first OCAV cottage (1870) designed by George Raymond Johnson architect. • Holdsworth (Daley) Building — 378-382 Lygon Street, Carlton — 1871 — shops — rear wings removed and front sections restored 1984 — • Illustration — 380 Lygon Street, Carlton • Prince of Wales Opera House — Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, — 1872 — theatre — demolished 1900 — • Eastern Arcade — Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria — 1872 — retail — modified 1894, demolished 2008 — • North Melbourne Town Hall — North Melbourne, Victoria — 1876 — town hall — Now trading as Arts House — • Illustration — View from corner of Queensberry & Errol Streets taken 30 March 2010 at 3.29 pm • Theatre Royal, Adelaide — Hindley Street, Adelaide — 1878 — theatre — demolished 1962 — • Illustration — View of Hindley Street in ca.1890 • New German Club, Adelaide — 87–91 Pirie Street, Adelaide — 1878 — Clubhouse & theatre — substantially modified after 1899 — • Metropolitan Meat Market — North Melbourne, Victoria — 1880 — commercial — Now an Arts Hub, trading as Meat Market — • Illustration — Image on specifications cover • Austin Hospital for Incurables — Heidelberg, Victoria — 1882 — other — demolished c1970 — • Cathedral Hotel (1882/83), — Swanston Street, north east corner of Flinders Lane, Melbourne — 1883 — hotel — demolished c1970 — • Daylesford Town Hall — Daylesford, Victoria — 1882 — town hall — • Illustration — Vincent Street elevation published in Australasian Sketcher, 16 January 1884, p5 • Collingwood Town Hall — Collingwood, Victoria — 1885 — town hall — • Criterion Theatre — Cnr Pitt and Park streets, Sydney — 1886 — theatre — demolished 1935 — • Centennial Exhibition Annexes to Exhibition Building — Carlton, Victoria — 1887 — other — demolished 1889 — • Illustration — Wood engraving published in Australasian Sketcher, 9 August 1888, p120 • Northcote Town Hall — Northcote, Victoria — 1887 — town hall — • Fitzroy Town Hall additions — Fitzroy, Victoria — 1887 — municipal offices, library, courthouse & clock tower — • Maryborough Town Hall — Maryborough, Victoria — 1887 — town hall — • Bijou Theatre — Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria — 1889 — theatre — demolished 1934 — • Illustration — View of stage & proscenium • "Battle of Waterloo" Cyclorama — 55 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy — 1889 — entertainment — demolished 1927 — • Illustration — Battle of Waterloo Cyclorama • Kilmore Town Hall — Kilmore, Victoria — 1894 — town hall — • Theatre Royal (auditorium only) — Hay Street, Perth — 1897 — theatre — interior now shops, exterior survives — • Illustration — Audience at the reception held at the Theatre Royal in Perth for the Australian cricket team • City Baths, Perth — Esplanade, Perth — 1898 — sea baths — demolished 1920 — • Illustration — City Baths on the Perth Esplanade in about 1900.