Sidney William Prior (1894—1952) was an architect in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. He designed the heritage-listed

Redcliffe Town Council Chambers Redcliffe Town Council Chambers is a heritage-listed town hall at 185 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe, Queensland, Redcliffe, City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Sidney William Prior and built from 1940 to 1941 by Carl Gu ...

Early life

Sidney William Prior was born about May 1894 in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

, London, England, the son of William Edward Prior and his wife Alice Mildred (née Bigg). Aged 15, he immigrated with his family on the ''Rippingham Grange'' departing London on 28 August 1909 and arriving in Brisbane on 21 October 1909. He studied construction and drawing at the

Brisbane Central Technical College Brisbane Central Technical College is a heritage-listed technical college at 2 George Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1911 to 1956. It became the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) in 1 ...

in 1913 before serving in the First World War.

Architectural career

Prior established his architectural practice in Brisbane in 1923 after having worked for a short period with the

Commonwealth Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...

as a draftsman. A large proportion of Prior's work was domestic though he designed Hesketh House in Elizabeth Street, additions to the Jennings Rubber Company Building in

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestri ...

and the Davies Park Speedway at

Bowen Hills Bowen Hills is an inner north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the Bowen Hills had a population of 3,226 people. Geography Bowen Hills is by road from the Brisbane CBD. Mayne is a neighbourhood within the sou ...

. In 1940 he designed the

Later life

Prior died in Brisbane on Thursday 31 January 1952; he was survived by his wife and daughter. He was cremated at the

Mount Thompson Crematorium Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium (formerly Brisbane Crematorium) includes a heritage-listed chapel (the West Chapel), columbaria and other features. It is located on north-western slopes of Mount Thompson in Brisbane, Australia. ...

on 2 February 1952.

References

Attribution

{{authority control Architects from Brisbane 1952 deaths 1894 births Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register British emigrants to Australia