Charles Thomas

17/07/1863

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Charles Thomas Good was born on 17 July 1863 at Mt Barker. He was the second son of Thomas Good and Mary Ann (nee Goode) (South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society 1997). His father was a successful businessman and founder of the firm Good, Toms & Co. which specialized in softgoods. Charles was educated locally at Price Alfred College, Kent Town before being sent back to England around 1883 to study ‘in some of the best seminaries, and with the guidance of the most eminent men in their profession in England’ (Burgess 1907 p. 542). He passed the University College examination for professional practice while he was in London (‘Mr. Charles Good’ 1889).

Good was articled to Messrs. Osborn and Reading, a Birmingham based architectural partnership, before moving to London to work as a draughtsman for George Vigars for a further year. During this time he worked on drawings for the Savoy Hotel, London. Charles Good would later travel abroad again to study architecture (‘The Art of Architects’ 1915). Returning to Australia, Charles Good worked for two years in Melbourne, Victoria for architects Elleker and Kilburn, famous for the Federal Palace Hotel on Collins Street. He made his way back to Adelaide in 1889 to begin working as an architect in his hometown (‘Mr. Charles Good 1889).

Charles Good was married to Helena Russell Goode on 26 March 1890 at her father’s residence in North Adelaide. They had three daughters, Doris, Frances and Margery and one son, Eric who died in childhood (South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society 1997). The Good family lived at ‘Redmarley’ Malvern and later at Myrtlebank. Charles Good was a member of the South Australian Institute of Architects in 1887, and was later made a Fellow. Good was Freemason with his lodge being St Andrews. He was also a foundation member of the South Park Bowling Club and became a life member. As well as bowls, Charles Good enjoyed gardening and motoring. He died suddenly aged 62, coming home from the office for lunch, feeling unwell and passing away that afternoon, 1 March 1926 (‘Obituary’ 1926).

Charles Good’s older sister Annie had married local architect David Williams, the son of a well-known Adelaide builder in 1884. This family connection led to the formation of an architectural partnership between Charles Good and David Williams in March 1889 (‘Partnership’ 1889). Their successful partnership lasted until Charles’ death in 1926. They based their practice in offices at 94 King William Street, Adelaide (‘Special Advertisements 1889) and later at Albion Chambers, 14 Waymouth Street, Adelaide. However, one of Charles Good’s first architectural jobs in Adelaide was not with David Williams, but as joint architect with architect Edward Davies, for whom he supervised the construction of a warehouse for Charles father’s firm, Messrs Good, Toms and Co. in Stephens Place, Adelaide (‘Good, Toms and Co.’s New Wholesale Warehouse’ 1889).

During the first decade of the partnership between Williams and Good, they designed a church and institute for the Adult Deaf and Dumb Mission in Wright Street, Adelaide (1897) and the Colton Building in Adelaide (1898) also for the Adult Deaf and Dumb Mission (‘Adult Deaf and Dumb Mission. The Colton Building’ 1897). Williams and Good were the architects for Nunyara, a private tuberculosis sanatorium at Belair, which opened in 1902. They also designed additions to Kalyra, the charitable tuberculosis sanatorium owned by the James Brown Trust, which was chaired by Charles Good’s wife’s uncle Sir Charles Goode. Williams and Good designed both institutions following the then best practice for treatment of the disease, the open-air treatment (Collins 2012). Charles Good’s understanding of such principles ensured that he became known as a “stickler for a larger provision of air space than actually called for under the building regulations” (‘Obituary’ 1926). Both Nunyara and Kalyra featured wide verandahs, large openable windows and would today be called Federation Style. Their walls were of red brick and freestone, with timber verandah posts and while Nunyara featured a red Maseilles tiled roof, Kalyra used corrugated iron, indicating the differing class of patients. Nunyara is now State Heritage listed (AHPI).

Also in 1897, at Belair on Sheoak Road, Williams and Good designed the imposing residence of Dr Thomas K Hamilton, an eminent ear, nose and throat specialist (Aeuckens p.128). The home, called ‘Willa Willa’, sat on some 56 acres of land and had 22 rooms. It was occupied by the Hamilton family from 1898 until 1913, being sold in 1917 and later re-named ‘Biralee’. It was said to possess “extraordinary architectural merit” (‘A Mountain Home’ 1914) and attracted attention with its tower, deep verandahs and prominent position opposite the Belair Railway Station. Another large residence by Williams and Good was the expansive North Bundaleer homestead for the pastoralist George Maslin near Jamestown in South Australia’s mid-north, with tenders called in 1897. This homestead was added to the State Heritage Register in 1983 and has undergone substantial renovations since (‘North Bundaleer’ online; AHPI). The residence designed by Williams and Good for businessman Mr T.C.Craven in Hill street, North Adelaide was described in 1907 as “one of the most unique houses north of Adelaide” (Burgess 1907 p.543). It was reported that it was mentioned in a feature article appearing in an Adelaide newspaper on the residences of North Adelaide which featured eight homes, five of which were designed by Williams and Good (Burgess 1907 p.543).

As well as residential and healthcare architecture, Williams and Good designed several large buildings for warehousing and commercial purposes in Adelaide. These included a large warehouse for Goode, Durrant & Co., who were wholesale merchants and it was erected on Grenfell Street, Adelaide in 1905 with additions in 1910 (‘Messrs. Goode, Durrant, & Co.’ 1905). Another warehouse was constructed for AE & F Tolley Ltd on Waymouth Street, Adelaide in 1913 (‘Work in Progress. What the Architects are doing’ 1913) and two years later a warehouse was completed for grocers Henry Berry & Co. on Franklin Street, Adelaide (‘Henry Berry & Co.’ 1914).

During the twentieth century, Williams and Good became known as theatre architects, designing the Tivoli on Grote Street, Adelaide in 1913 (‘The new Tivoli Theatre’ 1913) and the Majestic Theatre on King William Street, Adelaide in 1916 (‘Majestic theatre’ 1916). Their ecclesiastical architecture included a lecture hall for the Baptist Church on Northgate Street, Unley Park in 1903 (‘Church Intelligence’ 1903) and, later, a new church (‘Church Intelligence: Unley park Baptist Church 1917). At nearby Hawthorn, Williams and Good designed a new parish hall for St Columba’s Church in 1905 (‘Church Intelligence. S. Columba’s Parish Hall’ 1905).

In his obituary Charles Good was described as ‘one of the best-known architects in the Commonwealth, … responsible for the designing of some of the biggest modern buildings in Adelaide (‘Obituary 1926).

Julie Collins

Citation details
Collins, Julie, ‘Good, Charles Thomas’, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, Architects of South Australia: [http://www.architectsdatabase.unisa.edu.au/arch_full.asp?Arch_ID=143]