Florence Mary Taylor

Infobox Architect

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image_size =
caption = Florence Taylor
name = Florence Mary Taylor
nationality = Australian
birth_date = Birth date|1879|12|29
birth_place = Bedminster, Somerset, England
death_date = Death date and age|1969|2|13|1879|12|29
death_place = Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia
practice_name = Town Planning Association of New South Wales
Building Publishing Co. Ltd
significant_buildings=
significant_projects =
significant_design =
awards = OBE, CBE

Florence Mary Taylor CBE (née Parsons) (December 29 1879, Bedminster, England - February 13 1969, Sydney, Australia) was the first qualified female architect and the first woman to train as an engineer in Australia.De Vries, S. 1999. "The Complete Book of Great Australian Women". Harper Collins. ISBN 0-7322-7804-X] She was also the first woman in Australia to fly in a heavier-than-air craft in 1909. However she is best known for her role as publisher, editor and writer for the influential building industry trade journals established in 1907 with her husband George, which she ran and expanded after his death in 1928 until her retirement in 1961. [ Willis, Julie and Bronwyn Hanna "Women Architects in Australia 1900-1960" Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 2000]

Early life

Florence was born at Bedminster, in Somerset (now Bristol), England. Her family had migrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney, New South Wales in 1885 after a short stint in Queensland. Her father soon found work as a draftsman-clerk by the Parramatta Council, and worked on sewer construction. He used part of his wage to send Florence to private school at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydneycite book| last = McFarlane| first = John| title = The Golden Hope: Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney 1888-1988| year = 1988| publisher = P.L.C Council, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney| location = Croydon, NSW| isbn = 0-9597340-1-5| pages = p. 206| chapter =Ex-Students] in Croydon, where she pursued interests in music and singing, and excelled at mathematics. It is said that she often helped her father with complicated engineering calculations.

Career

Following the deaths of her mother in 1896 and father in 1899, Florence was forced to find work to help support herself and her two younger sisters. She eventually found a position as a clerk in the Parramatta architectural practice of Francis Ernest Stowe, an acquaintance of her father's.Citation| publication-date=September 2004| year=2004| title=Florence Taylor| periodical=Pioneer Women: The newsletter of the National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame Inc.| series=| publication-place=Alice Springs, NT| publisher=The National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame| pages=pp.8-10| url=http://pioneerwomen.com.au/news/newsletter%20Sept%202004%2072DPI.pdf| accessdate=2007-09-07.] Inspired by the example of draftsperson in the same office who were earning far more than herself, she enrolled in night classes at the Sydney Technical College where she became the first woman to complete final year studies in architecture in 1904. [ Willis, Julie and Bronwyn Hanna "Women Architects in Australia 1900-1960" Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 2000]

During her architecture course she was articled to the architect Edmund Skelton Garton. Although she had fond memories of being mentored by Garton, she later recalled that other workers in the office were less encouraging. Soon after completing her articles, she went on to work in the busy and prestigious office of John Burcham Clamp, where she claimed she was made chief draftsperson. [Hanna, Bronwyn Hanna "Absence and Presence, A Historiography of Early Women Architects in New South Wales", PhD, University of New South Wales, 1999, online athttp://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/uploads/approved/adt-NUN2000.0006/public/01front.pdf]

With Clamp's strong support in 1907, Florence applied to become the first women member of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales.cite web|url = http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120195b.htm|title = Taylor, Florence Mary (1879 - 1969) |accessdate = 2007-09-07|last = Ludlow|first = Christa|year = 1990|work = Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher = Melbourne University Press] However she was not accepted at this time, and she later claimed to have been "blackballed" by a groundswell of hostility from the all-male membership who did not wish to admit a woman member. She did become the first woman member of the Institute, but not until 1920 when she accepted their invitation to join.cite web|url = http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0064b.htm|title = Taylor, Florence Mary (1879 - 1969)|accessdate = 2007-09-07|last = Heywood|first = Anne|date = 2002-07-04|work = Australian Women Biographical Entry|publisher = National Foundation for Australian Women]

In April 1907, Florence married George Augustine Taylor, at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Sydney. George Taylor had lectured her at college and was a close friend of her first employer F.E. Stowe. On December 5, 1909, Florence became the first Australian woman to fly a heavier-than-air craft, in a glider built by George, from the Narrabeen sandhills near Sydney.cite web|url = http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/biography3.html#florence%20taylor|title = TAYLOR, Florence, OBE |accessdate = 2007-09-07|last = Naughton|first = Russell|year = 2005|work = Women Aviation Pioneers of Australian and New Zealand Skies 1900-2000|publisher = Monash University: Engineering] They were both passionate about architecture and town planning, amongst many other interests and activities. Max Freeland described them as "possibly the most amazing couple in Australia's history". [Freeland, J.M. (1971) The Making of a Profession, Angus & Robertson, Sydney]

Within a few months of their wedding they had established a publishing company that specialised in building industry journals, spearheaded by "Building" magazine. In 1914 Florence helped George to found the Town Planning Association of New South Wales.

Following her husband's sudden death, drowning in his bath associated with an epileptic fit in 1928,cite news| title = The Architect who found MI not so natural| url = http://www.magnetictimes.com/index.php?ID=307| publisher = Magnetic Times| page = p.1| date = 2002-04-19| accessdate = 2007-09-07] Florence maintained their publishing business and continued to produce town plans. She also travelled to Asia and Europe. She published a book about her town plans in 1959, authored by her employee J.M. Giles, "50 years of town planning with Florence M. Taylor". She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1939 and elevated to a Commander of that order in 1961.

Retirement and death

Florence Taylor retired in 1961 at 81 years of age, and lived in Potts Point. She died there on 13 February 1969 and was cremated with Anglican rites. Her estate was valued for probate at $226,281.

Legacy

The Canberra suburb Taylor was named in her honour, as were several professional awards, including the 'Florence M. Taylor Medallion' from the Master Builders Association of Victoria and the 'Florence Taylor Award' from the Queensland chapter of the Australian Institute of Building. [Master Builders Association of Victoria. [http://www.mbav.com.au/vpLink.aspx?ID=3500 Apprentice of the Year Awards] ] Citation| last=Bickerdike| first=Garry| publication-date=2006-06-22| year=2006| title=President's Report| periodical=Australian Institute of Building Queensland Chapter Annual Report| publication-place=Fortitude Valley, Qld| publisher=Australian Institute of Building| issue=54| pages=p.2| url=http://www.aib.org.au/qld/AIB-QldAnnualReport(2005-2006).pdf#search=%22Florence%20Taylor%20award%20-Sydney%22| accessdate=2007-09-07.]

A three-storey high portrait of Florence Taylor adorns an apartment building facing the railway on the southern approach to Sydney's Central railway station, which commemorates her as "Australia's first woman architect". Although this portrait also features a photograph of the beautiful Gothic Mortuary Station, located nearby, that building was completed ten years before Taylor's birth, designed by the then Government Architect James Barnet, and there is no known link between Taylor and the building. [ Freestone, Robert and Bronwyn Hanna, "Florence Taylor's Hats", Halstead Press, Sydney, forthcoming in 2007]

A portrait of Florence Taylor by Jerrold Nathan is held by the Mitchell Library, Sydney.

References