Evan Herbert Walker (11 October 1935 – 16 February 2015) was an Australian politician. Evan Walker was born in

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 ...

to Charles Fitzroy Walker, the headmaster of Box Hill Grammar School, and Ethel Ingamells. He attended his father's school and then

Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1905, the school caters for boys from Year 9 t ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Architecture The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

in 1959 from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

. He studied at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

on a Commonwealth scholarship, receiving a

Master of Architecture The “Master of Architecture”(M.Arch or MArch) or a “Bachelor of Architecture” is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation (internship, exams) that res ...

in 1962. He practised in Australia from 1963, but returned to Canada from 1965 to 1969, where he also tutored at Toronto University. In 1971 he worked as an architect on the Elliston Estate in Rosanna. In 1969 Walker joined the Labor Party. He was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...

for

in 1979, immediately becoming Deputy Opposition Leader in the upper house. Following Labor's victory in 1982, he became Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, as well as Minister for Conservation and for Planning. In 1983 he added Public Works, and in 1985 shifted to Agriculture and Rural Affairs. He was Industry Minister from 1988 to 1989 and Major Projects and Arts Minister from 1989 to 1990. Walker retired from politics in 1992, remaining active in Melbourne University's architecture faculty until 2000. In the

1996 Australia Day Honours The 1996 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 1996 by the Governor General of Australia, Bill Hayden. The Australia Da ...

he was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for "service to architecture, town planning and the Victorian Parliament". He was awarded the Centenary Medal on 1 January 2001 for "service to planning and urban design in Victoria. Walker died in February 2015, aged 79. The Southbank Pedestrian Bridge was subsequently renamed as Evan Walker Bridge, recognising the late Prof Walker’s role in creating the Southbank precinct.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Evan 1935 births 2015 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Ministers for the Environment (Victoria) Architects from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni University of Toronto alumni Academic staff of the University of Melbourne Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Officers of the Order of Australia Ministers for Agriculture (Victoria) Ministers for the Arts (Victoria) Ministers for Higher Education (Victoria) Ministers for Public Works (Victoria) Ministers for Planning (Victoria) Ministers for the Conservation (Victoria)