Alfred McBain

15/05/1865

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Although publicly better known in Adelaide's literary circles, Alfred Bonython behind the scenes made a significant mark on the architecture of South Australian railways, particularly across the 20 years following 1905.

Within the Bonython family, the most renowned remains Sir John Langdon, for a lengthy period the proprietor and editor of The Advertiser. Sir John (1848-1939) was the second son, George Langdon (1845-1921) was the first, and Alfred McBain was the very much junior third son of George Langdon Snr (arr. SA 1854), a trainee architect-turned-contractor whose antecedents hailed from Cornwall. When Alfred was born, the Wesleyan Methodist family was living on East Terrace, Adelaide. Between the ages of seven and fifteen, Alfred attended Prince Alfred College (PAC Archives). Upon leaving in 1880 he was articled to the prominent Glasgow-born architect, James Cumming. During Alfred's five years in that office, Cumming took Edward Davies into partnership (June 1881-August 1884), and the firm received due praise for designing the Clayton Congregational Church, Norwood (1881-2) and the National Mutual Life Assurance (NMLA) building, Victoria Square (1883-4) (SAReg 1.2.1882, 8; 2.4.1883, 2).

Evidently sharing his middle brother's love of the printed word Bonython, still 16 in April 1882, volunteered to be the Minute Secretary of the adult Pirie Street Literary Society (SAReg 17.4.1882, 5). True to his vocation, however, he made a measured drawing of R.G. Thomas's Stow Church to win a prize at the Chamber of Manufactures Industrial Exhibition of 1884 (SAReg 22.5.1884, 6). But, less than content with the professional standards of the day, he moved the formation of an architectural students' association. Edward Davies, who hosted the inaugural meeting in his chambers converted from the Stow Church manse in September 1884, accepted a vice-presidency; Bonython was elected Secretary and Frank Counsell, Treasurer (SAReg 15.9.1884, 5). This short-lived forum nonetheless prompted the establishment, led by Davies, of the SA Institute of Architects (SAIA) two years later.

On completion of his articles late in 1884, Bonython spent a working holiday in Hobart drafting Henry Hunter's design of the Catholic Church of St Peter, New Norfolk. In 1886, plying between Adelaide and Melbourne, Bonython then helped to prepare detailed drawings of William Butterfield's St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Swanston Street, for the architects Reed, Henderson & Smart (A 2.4.1954, 3). A pertinent curriculum vitae shown towards the end of 1886 to the Melbourne firm of Terry & Oakden secured him its resident representation in Perth. And to Albany he sailed alone on Valentine's Day 1887, a mere three days after his marriage to Alice Ekers of Robe (SAA 14.2.1887, 4; BDM). The western branch office of Terry & Oakden was launched on the strength of a commission to build a substantial outpost of the NMLA on St George's Terrace, Perth (WA 5.3.1887, 3). Bonython developed designs likely to have been initiated in Melbourne and oversaw the construction in 1887-8 - a heavy responsibility for a 22 year-old on his own. The success of this venture and a fruitful connection to the Shenton family led to requests to design a number of houses as well as new Wesleyan Methodist churches in Fremantle, York and, finally, Albany. Although his wife had joined him soon enough, the young architect was forced to resign in 1890 from what had become Oakden, Addison & Kemp, pleading overwork (A 30.6.1930, 16; 3.9.1952, 4).

By the time that tenders for the Albany scheme had been called a second time, Bonython was re-employed by the South Australian public service and was living in Parkside with Alice and two infant children. Little Geoffrey survived only five weeks but the 1890s brought another boy and two more girls (Directories; BDM). As life began anew in Adelaide, Bonython's cherished humanities were embraced once more. He won a seat in the 'Union Parliament', a mock House of Representatives, and subscribed to the Parkside Literary Society in whose team he took part in debates, criticism, drama and oratory, often gaining high places in annual intersociety competitions (A 12.8.1892, 7; 16.8.1892, 5). Within months of finding a position in the Engineer-in-Chief's department, he was designing a range of railway maintenance workers' cottages which he drew the satisfaction of seeing built immediately at Dry Creek, Wasleys, Blyth and elsewhere (SAR Drawings, AM). Part of 1891 was spent planning the mechanical engineers' office to be built at Islington (A 16.6.1930, 16), while the whole of 1893-6 found him seconded to Waterworks under C.A. Bayer. His job, underusing his talents, was to oversee the boring of the outlet tunnel issuing from Happy Valley to Tapley's Hill (A 18.4.1895, 7). It was in this role that he will have met Frank Naish (1860-1904) who, once he had been appointed architect to Adelaide University, needed all-round assistance to realise a conservatorium of music. For six months between November 1897 and May 1898, Bonython 'moonlighted' at Naish's office, working every night until 11.30, catching the last train to Glenelg, and walking home to Brighton (A 3.9.1952, 4). In 1894, when the Alfred Bonythons distanced themselves from other Bonythons to live at Voule's Terrace - between St Jude's and the Thatched House Tavern - Brighton and Somerton combined had a population of under 200 (Rich: 21, 22; Directories). Although Bonython's name was rarely associated with Elder Hall, the building bore some similarity to his church at Albany. Long after it was eventually opened in Spring 1900, Walter Bagot compared it, in effect, to the Hippopotamus House at the zoo (Page: 113; A 10.10.1900, 4).

At Brighton, the Bonythons involved themselves in the community. Alfred changed his Methodist allegiance to that of the Church of England, serving laically at St Jude's; he and Frank Counsell finished a parish hall according to a design sketched by Frank Naish who had died on the job; he invigorated the Brighton Institute; and he urged the foundation of a local literary society. By 1905 he was serving on the Council of Brighton Corporation (A 4.7.1904, 9; 16.1.1905, 6; C 23.10.1907, 5). Surprised to gain preselection for the Central Ward, he was then disappointed to forego the mayoralty in 1907 - unable ethically to be a public servant above his own station.

At work in Victoria Square, Bonython had been reassigned to railway projects, collaborating with, in an earlier instance, Frank Counsell in 1900-03 to reconstruct the Adelaide Railway Station - a not inconsiderable task (A 16.6.1930, 16; Page: 112, 113). At the ends of those years, he examined students of Building Construction and Woodwork at the School of Mines and Industries, the body managed and endowed by his brother, Sir John. His authority lay in membership of the Australian Institute of Mechanical Engineers as well as the SAIA (A 10.12.1902, 7; S347/1, AM). For a further eight years, 1903-11, Bonython undertook to represent the Engineer-in-Chief's department on the board of the Public Service Association (PSA) (A 25.4.1903, 8).

Whereas numerous draughtsmen constantly executed the bulk of the adaptations of the engine running sheds and English villa-style stations designed largely in the 1880s, the few departmental architects were occasionally permitted to update the in-house pattern book. Bonython introduced Edwardian flair, replacing the flat, single-pitched roofs of weatherboard-clad sheds with steep, double-pitched hipped, gabled or, being a keen advocate of ventilation and shelter (A 25.10.1917, 7), louvre-ended roofs extended by catslides and by broad, strutted awnings. A.G. Pendleton, Commissioner of Railways of the day, blessed Bonython's revolutionary design of Moonta station (June 1908) of which replicas were built at Penola, Tailem Bend, Wallaroo and Murray Bridge (SAR Drawings, AM). A novel, upper-level belvedere did duty not as a signal box but a ladies' lavatory accessible only from the ladies' waiting room below. In 1910, Bonython similarly supplied a standard station master's cottage which was variously modified for occupation by resident engineers, traffic controllers, gangers and the like. These were built from locally-found materials everywhere from Cape Thevenard to Wolseley.

At the age of 42, Bonython became the father of a fourth daughter, Nancy Loveday. Determinedly reviving his literary activities, he joined, both at their outset in 1910, Lady Symon's Poetry Society and the 'liberal Christian' discussion group, The Eucalypts Club (A 28.2.1935, 16; SRG 252). His councillorship at Brighton continued in parallel with that at the PSA but both were surrendered when he was appointed joint Honorary Auditor of the SAIA at the end of 1912. This post was held alongside his friend Frank Counsell, the Honorary Treasurer, until he took a place on the SAIA Council three years later (A 1.11.1912, 10; 12.11.1915, 6). By that date, Mrs Alice Bonython had died and the family, except 21 year-old Guy who had enlisted - soon to fight at Gallipoli - had left Brighton to live in Crafers.

Aware that the modernity of Moonta station was not wholeheartedly embraced, Bonython worked up a less Anglo-Indian, more Post-Federation Australian design for the small Angaston station in 1910. This experimental blend was refined, if not perfected, at Tatiara Downs in 1914 and, later, at Mount Gambier (SAR Drawings, AM). But its acceptance, too, was shown to be resisted when a long-outmoded Manoora-style design was preferred in 1912-13 for Tanunda on the same Barossa Valley line. To devise these model stations in the South-East, Bonython had the assistance of Victor Nyberg, an emigrant Swede (b. 1877, Lapland) who had spent five years working in South Africa before arriving in South Australia (S347/1, AM). The superficial Cape Dutch styling of the remodelled Quorn station (1914) is likely to be the result of a separate alliance of Bonython and Nyberg during the latter's stay, 1912-18. Together, they rationalised the department's stock designs and determined that the elemental shapes of the South-East station buildings would, nonetheless, distinguish for many years to follow numberless railway ancillaries - from lower-class stations to wayside stops, from fettlers' barracks to porters' cabins - across the state. Charming small structures in a family of forms could then be found from Cockburn to Ooldea, Woocalla to Gilbert's Siding.

From Crafers, the one-parent Bonython family descended to Rose Park. Alfred dutifully maintained high offices in the highbrow societies where, often enough, he rubbed shoulders with the governor's wife, the estate agent, C.H. Treloar, and with his colleagues, Edward Davies and Frank Counsell. An interest in town planning would in due course land him on the Central Advisory Board of its dedicated society (C 10.5.1922, 7). On every day of the war years he expected to receive a fateful telegram but Lt Guy Bonython returned, despite wounds, bearing both the Military Cross and Medal. Unexpectedly, it was 12 year-old Loveday who contracted double pneumonia and died in 1919, prompting her father to present an annual prize in her honour at Girton School (BDM; A 15.12.1923, 17). Alfred picked himself up to show a mysterious concern for the affairs of Riverton and its institutions, not least its masonic lodge. Worshipful Brother Bonython, a member of Leopold Lodge 31, was appointed Grand Superintendent of Works owing to his contribution to the Building Committee of the proposed new Grand Lodge on North Terrace (A 2.11.1928; 17.4.1924, 12; Chr 3.6.1922, 12; SRG 490/42). When, in 1922, in the major church on her circuit, he married Florence Rehder of Tothill Creek, a respected organist and social worker, the Riverton connection was explained (BDM; Chr 17.6.1922, 11). Just prior to this event, Alfred accepted the presidency of the Poetry Society which he was to hold for the next 17 years and his household, now diminished by a spate of marriages among his children, moved to Marriott Terrace on the heights of Beaumont.

In 1922, SA Railways entered the progressive era commanded by Commissioners McGuire and W.A. Webb. Since further examples were built at Victor Harbor (1924) and Gladstone (concrete-walled, 1926 onwards), the 'South-East' station design found renewed favour under them. Bonython prepared for his retirement by running up Aldore on two acres above Glynburn Road, Beaumont (Lands Titles), before being committed to coordinate Garlick & Jackman's reconstruction of Adelaide Railway Station from the drawing up of a competition brief in late 1923 until its opening in mid-1928 - overriding the unions' black ban of 1927
(B 5003; A 24.8.1927, 9). With the demolition of the 1903 Adelaide Station, in large part his own creation, Bonython's career in the railways had come full circle. While the new, two-storeyed Port Lincoln station (1925-7) resembled his annexe at Gladstone, it revealed regrettable fat-trimming beyond even a Grand Superintendent's control. At the end of 1928, he resigned his auditing duties at the SAIA; on the eve of his 65th birthday in 1930, he retired from government employment. Carrying the volume of poems and staff given to reward his 40 years' service (A 16.6.1930, 16), he relished more than ever his contemplative walks through Waterfall Gully, perhaps thereby inspiring his great-nephew, Warren Bonython.

'A worker in the higher realm of culture, of whom the city has reason to be proud', Alfred Bonython remained president of the Poetry Society until it was wound up in 1937, a reign of 27 years crowned by a meeting of the Poet Laureate, John Masefield, in 1934 (A 2.11.1928, 14; M 6.10.1934, 4). In the end, of his 88 years, 50 by day were dedicated to architecture and engineering, and 50 by night were devoted to the arts and civic democracy.

Giles Walkley

Walkley, Giles, 'Bonython, Alfred McBain', Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, 2017, Architects of South Australia: [http://www.architectsdatabase.unisa.edu.au/arch_full.asp?Arch_ID=147]