Edwin Summerhayes (1868–1944) was an Australian architect, founding member of the

West Australian Institute of Architects The West Australian Institute of Architects was a professional society for architects in Western Australia. History The Institute was originally known as the Institute of West Australian Architects. George Temple-Poole was president in 1896. ...

, and a major in the 44 Infantry Battalion, serving in France from 1916 to 1917. Summerhayes was born in 1868 in

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He attended Christ College London until he was sixteen, when his family moved to Australia. He was initially articled to James Hill in

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

, and later William Pitt in

Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung–Taungurung language, Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the St ...

. Summerhayes came to

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

in 1894, during the

gold rushes A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

, and set up an architectural practice in Coolgardie. He married Florence May Camm in Victoria in 1896, but had returned to Coolgardie by 1897, the year their son Reginald was born. Within Coolgardie Summerhayes designed buildings such as the Turkish Baths, the Jewish Synagogue, the Presbyterian Church, the Mechanics Institute and the Exhibition Building, but became known for his homestead and villa designs, which were built across Western Australia. He also designed Kobeelya in Katanning, and Rechabite Hall in

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 ...

, his last significant building. Summerhayes was one of the founding member of the West Australian Institute of Architects in 1896. He was also a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, a member of the Claremont Municipal Council in 1904. He served as a major in the volunteer forces 11th Infantry Regiment in 1911, and in the 44 Infantry Battalion, deployed to France from 1916 to 1917. Summerhayes was in partnership with

Harold Boas Harold Boas OBE (27 September 1883 – 17 September 1980) was a town planner and architect in Western Australia. Boas designed many public buildings in and around Perth and was an influential Jewish community leader. He served as an elected m ...

in 1912, in Oldham Boas Ednie Brown and Partners. He later worked with his son until his retirement in 1934. Summerhayes died on 25 December 1944, and is buried at Guildford Cemetery.

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