Stephen Albert Jelicich (1 March 1923 – 19 December 2015) was a New Zealand

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and historian.

Early life and family

Born Stjepan Albert Jeličić on 1 March 1923 in

Sućuraj Sućuraj (known as ''San Giorgio'' in Italian) is a smallest town on the island of Hvar in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, 3 NM (5 km) from the Dalmatian coast and 77 km from the town of Hvar. Sućuraj has about 400 residents, wi ...

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

(present-day

Republic of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

), the son of Victor and Srećka Jeličić, the family emigrated to New Zealand in 1927. Stephen Jelicich became a naturalised New Zealander in 1928. He was educated at Sacred Heart College, and later studied at Auckland University College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1949. Jelicich married Barbara Jean McLennan in 1958.

Architectural practice

In 1949, Jelicich formed Brenner Associates in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

with fellow architects Desmond Mullen and Ron Grant and designer

Milan Mrkusich Milan Mrkusich (5 April 1925 – 13 June 2018) was a New Zealand artist and designer. He was considered a pioneer of abstract painting in New Zealand. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were organised by the Auckland Art Gallery in 1972 and 1 ...

. As well as architectural work, the firm engaged in integrated interior, exhibition, lighting and furniture design. In 1950 they established Auckland's first modern design store, specialising in imported and local furniture, ceramics, woodwork and glass. Brenner Associates was dissolved in about 1958, and Jelicich went into sole practice. Around 1960, Jelicich formed the Architects Planning Group, with the aim of influencing planning issues in Auckland. He entered into partnership in 1963 with Rodney Davies,

Ivan Mercep Ivan Mercep (22 February 1930 – 8 April 2014) was a New Zealand architect. Early life and family Born in Taumarunui in 1930 to a Croatian family, Mercep was educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland and Auckland University College, from whe ...

, John Austin and Graham Smith to form what would become JASMaD (later Jasmax, one of the largest architectural practices in New Zealand).

Historian

Jelicich researched the history of Croatian immigrants to New Zealand and their descendants. His book, ''From distant villages: the lives and times of Croatian settlers in New Zealand, 1858–1959'', was published in 2008. He was also a contributor to the ''

Dictionary of New Zealand Biography The ''Dictionary of New Zealand Biography'' (DNZB) is an encyclopedia or biographical dictionary containing biographies of over 3,000 deceased New Zealanders. It was first published as a series of print volumes from 1990 to 2000, went online i ...

''.

Death

Jelicich died in Auckland on 19 December 2015 at the age of 92.

Honours

In the

2003 New Year Honours The 2003 New Year's Honours List is one of the annual New Year Honours, a part of the British monarch's honours system, where 1 January is marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of ot ...

, Jelicich was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

for services to architecture and the community. He was also a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jelicich, Stephen 1923 births 2015 deaths People from Hvar Yugoslav emigrants to New Zealand University of Auckland alumni New Zealand architects 21st-century New Zealand historians Naturalised citizens of New Zealand New Zealand Roman Catholics Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit People educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland Fellows of the New Zealand Institute of Architects