Harry Winbush

Winbush was born in Melbourne. His father was a builder. The prominent Melbourne architect, Percy Everett recommended that Winbush study architecture. He did well in his studies gaining his architecture qualifications in Melbourne and later in London.

Architectural commissions

During his professional career he designed many residential and commercial buildings. Other buildings he designed included fire stations in Port Melbourne Box Hill and East Kew built in 1941 and currently recommended for heritage listing.

He designed a theatre for the Essendon Society of Arts, as well as hospitals situated in Essendon and Greensborough-Diamond Valley. He designed sporting infrastructure including the main grandstand - the A.F. Showers Pavilion at Windy Hill, Essendon the home of the Essendon Bombers football club. He designed one of the first of the 'new-generation' of indoor sporting facilities - the ten-pin bowling alley.

He also designed the Moonee Ponds Trugo club and an Art Deco house in Fletcher St Essendon as well as public libraries in Glenroy and Essendon.

He undertook a wide range of architectural commissions including pioneering examinations of: Obsolescence in Residential Properties and Camouflaging of buildings around Melbourne, and Camouflaging of the gun emplacements at Point Nepean - the entrance to Port Philip Bay, during World War 2.

Academic positions

Winbush was appointed, in 1943, head of the Department of Art and Architecture which was to become the Department of Architecture and Design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). He was responsible for the management of the education of thousands of students.

In 1948, he developed the RMIT Interior Design course which in turn led to the establishment the 'Industrial Design Institute of Australia' which was renamed as the Design Institute of Australia He retired from his position as head of RMIT Architecture and Design in 1968.

During this period he also established and maintained a successful architectural consulting business.

Professional positions

In 1949 the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) established a Joint Board of Architectural Education. It was this Board which became the vehicle through which the profession directly influenced architectural education in Australia through the accreditation of both courses and educational institutions. Winbush was a member of that first Board.

He was appointed President of the RAIA, 1955-57.

Winbush was a graduate of Melbourne University and a Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (FRAIA) and also a Fellow the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA). He went on to become a member of the Melbourne University, Faculty of Architecture.

He was chairman of the Architects' Registration Board of Victoria. As a councillor of the National Trust of Victoria he was actively engaged in the preservation of Victoria's historic buildings.

During the 1960s, new houses were being built across the ever-expanding suburbs of Melbourne. He was asked to prepare feature articles for the Melbourne Sun newspaper detailing his comprehensive ‘road–tests’ of those homes. The column was titled, No place like home and ran every week from March 1964 until June 1973. The University of Melbourne, Department of Architecture reported:

The Melbourne 'Sun' introduced a new feature to appear weekly on Tuesdays—"No Place Like Home" written by Mr. Harry Winbush, head of the School of Architecture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Besides the expected general information for the prospective homeowner, on finance, renovations, decorations, etc; the column assesses the stock range of builders' houses for sale. A worthwhile analysis, for it points out not only what the buyer gets for his money, but also what he doesn't get (e.g. sewerage facilities, polished floors, fences etc); and it is also critical of fittings and planning. The level of the column drops to catch-phrases however with remarks such as "The feature wall of stained and varnished pine in the family living area is a happy thought." The service is apparently directed towards readers who find the "Age" R.V.I.A. Small Homes Service too highbrow, or at 10 guineas per plan, too expensive.

Winbush was an active member of Rotary International for nearly 50 years and was held in high regard by his fellow members. He was President of the Essendon club in 1951-52. In 1952 he designed for Rotary a "Pioneers Retreat" (and as described in the Rotary Club history), "a beautiful cream-brick building in the sylvan setting of Queens Park, Moonee Ponds". Another project which Essendon Rotary supported was 'Gladswood Lodge', (with Winbush known as its 'honorary architect'), which continues to provide care for the aged. He also instigated the forming of the Brunswick Rotary Club in 1953.

Essendon Rotary Club, at that time had established and continued to assist in the maintenance of 'Rowallan Recreation and Adventure Camp' set in 74 hectares (183 acres) of natural bushland in the Catherine Valley, Gisborne for Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.

Winbush was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow, an honour recognising outstanding service and represented Rotary Australia at international conferences.