Walter David

30/08/1885

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Born on 30 August 1885 at Norwood, to Henry James Cowell (1855-1938) and Mary Ann (nee Williams), Walter David Cowell was one of a family of four sons and two daughters. Both his father and older brother, Hubert Henry Cowell (1885-1963) practised as architects and the family had a substantial impact on the building trade and architecture in South Australia.

Educated at Prince Alfred College, Walter Cowell joined his father and brother in the partnership of Cowell & Cowell, an affiliation that continued until 1932, when Hubert Cowell left the partnership. Walter Cowell was a Fellow of the South Australian Institute of Architects (SAIA). Walter Cowell continued the practice alone after his father died in 1938. Walter Cowell died, aged 78, in December 1963.

The partnership of Cowell & Cowell was responsible for the entrance and scoreboard at Thebarton Recreation Park in 1922, as well as banking premises for the Savings Bank of South Australia at Jetty Road Glenelg (1922) and at Renmark (1928).

As old scholars of Prince Alfred College, Kent Town, Cowell & Cowell contributed to the school through their designs for the Memorial Block of classrooms (1922). In 1923 Cowell & Cowell placed second in the Freemasons competition for its new Grand Lodge building on North Terrace (Page 1986, p.156). The partnership designed the 1923 Presbyterian Church at Hawthorn, and following this, in 1924, Cowell & Cowell designed St Peter’s Lutheran Church at Loxton in Gothic style, it was opened on 7 March 1926 (St Peter’s Lutheran Church Loxton).

Walter Cowell continued from his father as the architect for the Fruit and Produce Exchange, later called the East End markets, Adelaide. He also designed the Masonic Temple for Lodge No. 73 at Henley Beach (1932). Walter Cowell was responsible for a Methodist Church at Burra, residences at Victoria Avenue, Unley Park, hospitals at Mt Pleasant and Kingscote, Kangaroo Island and Council Chambers at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island (Cheesman 1986).

Julie Collins

Citation: Collins, Julie, ‘Cowell, Walter David, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, 2008, Architects of South Australia: [http://www.architectsdatabase.unisa.edu.au/arch_full.asp?Arch_ID=59]