James Barnet

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James Johnstone Barnet (1827 – 1904) was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890.

Life and career

Barnet was born at Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland. The son of a builder, he was educated at the local high school. In 1843, at the age of sixteen, Barnet moved to London, where he became a builder’s apprentice, studying drawing under William Dyce RA and architecture with CJ Richardson FRIBA. He then became of clerk of works with the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. In 1854 he married and sailed for Sydney, Australia, with his new wife. In Sydney, he worked first as a builder for Edmund Blacket, then became Clerk of Works at the University of Sydney.

In 1860, he joined the Colonial Architect’s Office. In 1862, he was acting head of the office; in 1865, he was promoted to the post of Colonial Architect. He held that position for twenty-five years until the Office was reorganised in 1890.

Major projects for which Barnet was responsible included:

*Defence works at Botany Bay, Port Jackson and Newcastle
*Court houses, lock-ups, police stations and post offices throughout New South Wales (see Court houses in New South Wales)
*Lighthouses, including rebuilding the Macquarie Lighthouse first built by Francis Greenway, and the 1879 Tacking Point Lighthouse.

Major Sydney public buildings:

*New wing of the Australian Museum
*General Post Office
*Colonial Secretary's Building (now called the Chief Secretary’s Building)
*Public Works Building and Lands Building
*Customs House
*Public Library
*Medical School at the University of Sydney
*Callan Park Lunatic Asylum
*Tarban Creek Asylum, later known as the Gladesville Psychiatric Hospital
*East Sydney Technical College
*Darlinghurst Court House
*Victoria Lodge, Botanical Gardens
*Department of Lands
*Parramatta Post Office
*Traffic Court No.2, Sydney
*North Sydney Post Office (Opened 1889 as St Leonards PO, renamed 1890 [ [http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/NOR/NOR23.htm Sydney Architecture Images- North Sydney Post Office ] at www.sydneyarchitecture.com] )
*Mortuary Station, Central Railway

The Colonial Architect’s office was also responsible for maintenance of public buildings. Between 1865 and 1881, Barnet had supervised 1,490 projects. Other roles were assigned to Barnet: for example, he was put in charge of the arrangements for the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh in 1868.In 1879, Barnet was put in charge of the design and erection of the Sydney International Exhibition building. The Colonial Architect’s Office completed this large task in nine months, including preparing 412 drawings, management of the accounts and payments associated with the project, and supervision of the building. Night shifts were used to get through the project using the first electric light in Sydney. Although the project was judged a success at the end, Barnet was constantly criticised in Parliament during the construction. The project overran its budget of £50,000 by more than three times, costing £184,570.

Barnet had previously been criticised in 1874 over the new wing of the Australian Museum by the Museum’s trustees and a select committee of the Legislative Assembly. By contrast, also in 1874, his General Post Office in Martin Place received high praise.

From 1870 – 1889 Barnet was on the commission set up to plan the colony’s defence. Barnet built new batteries and barracks. In July 1889, defence works became the responsibility of a military works branch of the Public Works Department. The new director was Lieutenant–Colonel F.R. de Wolski. De Wolski criticised Barnet's work. Barnet was not prompt in handing over plans and documents for defence works. There had been rumours about the project at Bare Island battery in Botany Bay. On 1 July 1890, a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the letting of contracts and report on the work completed. The evidence presented by staff of the Colonial Architect’s office and Barnet was contradictory. The Commission found that the work was below standard and the Colonial Architect’s supervision of the project was not adequate. While the minister supported Barnet, the Commission’s censure was a regrettable end to his distinguished career. Barnet resigned as Colonial Architect. He believed that de Wolski had significantly influenced the Commission and held that the Commission’s findings were unjust, petty and spiteful.

In 1899, Barnet published "Architectural work in Sydney, New South Wales, 1788-1899".

Barnet’s work was significantly influenced by the Italian Renaissance. He had little time for the new styles of architecture becoming fashionable in Sydney at the end of the nineteenth century, particularly those that followed American trends. Barnet was also critical of domestic architectural fashions, cluttered with what he saw as useless ornamentation, and “surmounted with blazing red tiles from France.”

Barnet died in 1904 and is buried in the Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery. His wife had died in 1890. He was survived by four daughters and three sons, two of whom also practiced as architects.

Gallery

References

*cite book
author = D. I. McDonald
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1969
month =
title = Australian Dictionary of Biography
chapter = Barnet, James Johnstone (1827 – 1904)
editor = Douglas Pike (General Editor)
others =
edition = Volume 3 1851 – 1890 A - C
pages =
publisher = Melbourne University Press
location = Australia
id = SBN 522-83909-6
url =

External links

* [http://www.usyd.edu.au/arms/archives/barnet.htm Papers held] at the University of Sydney