John Alistair Hepburn (8 March 1915 – 7 September 2004) was a town planner, noted for his contributions to the design and development of the urban regions within greater

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

in Western Australia, and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Victoria.

Early life

Hepburn was born on 8 March 1915 in London. He studied as a chartered surveyor and valuer at Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

before joining the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Career

After the war, he practised as a town planning consultant in London and Middlesex and emigrated to Australia in 1951, where he joined the

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisd ...

and later the Cumberland County Council in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. In 1953, he took a position as the Town Planning Commissioner for Western Australia. At this time, he joined with Professor

Gordon Stephenson Gordon Stephenson (6 June 1908 – 30 March 1997) was a British-born town planner and architect. He is best known for his role in shaping the modern growth and development of Perth, Western Australia. Biography Gordon Stephenson was born in 1 ...

, who had been commissioned specifically to produce a plan for the metropolitan areas of Perth and

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

. The pair co-authored the

1955 Plan for the Metropolitan Region, Perth and Fremantle The 1955 ''Plan for the Metropolitan Region, Perth and Fremantle'' (also known as the ''Stephenson,'' or ''Stephenson-Hepburn Report'') was prepared for the Government of Western Australia by Gordon Stephenson and Alistair Hepburn. The plan wa ...

, which has served as the blueprint for town planning in the region since then. He moved to Victoria in 1959, where he took a position of Chief Planner for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. He held positions there until his retirement in 1978. During his time in Melbourne, he helped guide the expansion of the city and the metropolitan region during the 1960s and 1970s. He also held council positions at

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria an ...

both prior to its establishment in 1964, and continuing there until 1970. He was made an Officer (Civil) of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

and in 2000 received a

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...

Death

He died on 7 September 2004.

Legacy

The major arterial road

Hepburn Avenue Hepburn Avenue is an arterial east-west road in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. The road links Sorrento in the west with Malaga and Whiteman in the east. It also connects the residential developments that span its length wit ...

in Perth's northern suburbs is named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hepburn, Alistair 1915 births 2004 deaths People from London People from Perth, Western Australia People from Melbourne Australian urban planners British emigrants to Australia British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery personnel Military personnel from London