William T. Leighton
William Thomas Leighton (15 July 1905 – 11 March 1990) was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings. Leighton was born in Fremantle on 15 July 1905 and after an apprenticeship at the architectural offices of Allen & Nicholas in Fremantle, was one of the first group of architects to be registered as part of the WA Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Leighton then worked in the architectural offices of Eales and Cohen before joining Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson, who sent him on interstate and overseas commissions.
Also recorded as William Thomas Leighton · William Thomas (Bill) Leighton
William T. Leighton
- Name
- William Leighton
- Born
- 15 July 1905
- Birthplace
- Fremantle, Western Australia
- Died
- 11 March 1990
- Place of death
- Dalkeith, Western Australia
- Education
- Fremantle Boys School Perth Technical College
- Occupation
- Architect
- Spouse
- Miriam Olga Wight
- Nationality
- Australia
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William Thomas Leighton (15 July 1905 – 11 March 1990) was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings. Leighton was born in Fremantle on 15 July 1905 and after an apprenticeship at the architectural offices of Allen & Nicholas in Fremantle, was one of the first group of architects to be registered as part of the WA Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Leighton then worked in the architectural offices of Eales and Cohen before joining Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson, who sent him on interstate and overseas commissions.
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wikidata · Q8019090 · wikipedia · William T. Leighton
In this article
Biography
Biography
Leighton joined the firm Baxter Cox in 1936 and was later to become a partner until the firm was dissolved in the mid-1940s. Leighton joined the Public Works Department for a short time after World War II, before being offered a partnership with Hobbs, Winning and Leighton. Leighton was president of RAIA (WA) between 1951 and 1952 Leighton retired in 1975. William Leighton worked on a number of Western Australian cinemas including the Windsor Cinema in Nedlands, the Como Theatre in South Perth, the Princess in Fremantle, and the Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade, Theatre Royal, Metro, Grand and Plaza Theatres in Perth, and the Lyric in Bunbury, Leighton died on 11 March 1990 at his Dalkeith residence.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Leighton • Born — 15 July 1905 • Birthplace — Fremantle, Western Australia • Died — 11 March 1990 • Place of death — Dalkeith, Western Australia • Education — Fremantle Boys School Perth Technical College • Occupation — Architect • Spouse — Miriam Olga Wight • Children — Garry • Parents — James Leighton, Margaret née Howard
Notable buildings
Notable buildings
• State Theatre, Melbourne (c.1930) • Civic Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand (c.1930) • Embassy Theatre, Sydney (c.1930) • Former Piccadilly Theatre (Piccadilly Cinema) and Arcade, Perth (1938) • Windsor Theatre, Nedlands (1938) • Como Theatre (Cygnet Cinema), Como (1938) • Former State Theatre (Astor Cinema), Mount Lawley (1939) • Fremantle Port Authority Building & Fremantle Passenger Terminal
Places
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Places
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Fremantle.
Birth place
Perth.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “William T. Leighton”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8019090: William T. Leighton
General reference · Wikidata
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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.
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