James Barnet - New South Wales Colonial Architect (1865-1890): 'an underpaid officer of the Government'

Abstract

In this study an examination is made of the public career of James Barnet, architect who, after training in London, migrated to Sydney in 1854. He joined the Colonial Architect's Office in 1860 and on 31 October 1862 he was directed to act in the position of Colonial Architect of New South Wales; on 1 January 1865 he was appointed to that position which he occupied until 30 June 1890. The staff of the Office, acting under his general direction, prepared plans for and supervised the construction of more buildings than any other architect in practice in Sydney during the nineteenth century. Furthermore, he achieved more than any other occupant of the position and was probably exceeded only by E.H. Farmer who was Government Architect of New South Wales during 1958-1973. My emphasis has been placed upon Barnet's work as a nineteenth century civil servant rather than upon his achievements as an architect. Barnet can be shown to have been a competent administrator who satisfied N.C. Coombs' criteria that such a person was one who made 'possible the achievement of other people's dreams'. The argument is also advanced that it was the senior civil servants, rather than the politicians, who made a continuing and lasting contribution to the development of New South Wales during a period of rapid ministerial and parliamentary changes.