Philip Bisset Papers
Collection
Papers relating to the life and career of Philip Bisset. Included are notebooks on architectural topics from his student years, travel diaries of his journeys within Australia and overseas, sketchbooks of drawings and designs, including one from his childhood, paper stencils, pencil and watercolour drawings, clippings, school assignments, extensive architectural plans and working drawings for residential, commercial and hospital projects, student architectural work, diplomas and certificates showing his professional qualifications and membership of architectural institutions, albums of family and architectural photographs, glass plate negatives, family correspondence and a needlework sampler made by his aunt, Margaret Smith. The collection also includes material relating to the Bisset family's early years in Australia, in particular realting to the Crows Nest district where they settled. .
Philip Yeats Bisset, 1921-2010, was born in Brisbane, the son of George Yeats Bisset, a Scottish-born designer and engraver, and Maria Leonora Smith. He was educated in Brisbane at Brisbane Boys College before enrolling at the Central Technical College, while he was articled to J.P. Donoghue who with his partner C.W.T. Fulton was associated with some of the most interesting buildings then being designed in Brisbane. After graduating in 1942, he served with the army in World War II. He received an early release from the army to assist with reconstruction. He also completed a Diploma of Architecture at the University of Queensland (1946), joined the RAIA as an associate (1947) and became senior architect with Donoghue Cusick & Edwards. He was made a partner of the practice in 1959. When the firm was restructured as Edwards Bisset and Partners Pty Ltd in 1970 he was managing director and secretary, and from 1980, Chairman of Directors. In a career spanning over 60 years he was involved with 63 hospitals including St Vincent's Hospital in Toowoomba, the Mater Hospitals in Townsville and Bundaberg, and many State Government hospitals in rural Queensland. In addition, he worked on numerous facilities for the Salvation Army and the Federal Government, as well as the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Darwin, and several other churches. In his retirement he lived at Caloundra. The Philip Y Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship was established as a result of a generous $1,309,613 bequest left by him to the Australian Institute of Architects.
In copyright.
Library Board of Queensland