Daryl Jackson

Daryl Sanders Jackson (7 February 1937 – 21 February 2026) was an Australian architect, who designed alone or with partners numerous notable large scale projects across Australia and internationally, ranging from schools and colleges to sports facilities, office blocks, hospital wings and residential complexes. The designs included stylistic influences from Brutalism and High Tech to Postmodernism and Deconstructivism, and the firm as won numerous awards since in the 1970s. Jackson was also an educator as an associate professor at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University.

Early life Jackson was born on 7 February 1937 in Clunes, Victoria, Australia, and was educated at Wesley College in Melbourne. He completed a diploma in architecture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), then moved to the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1959. After working with architects in Melbourne, Sydney, he married his wife Kaye and they spent some years living overseas. Daryl worked in London for Chamberlin Powell & Bonn, best known for the Brutalist landmark of the Barbican Centre, and in the United States for Paul Rudolph, a seminal figure in the development of Brutalism and 'megastructures'.

Architectural career

Jackson Walker He returned to Melbourne in 1964, and established his first practice, with fellow University of Melbourne graduate Evan Walker. Walker later moved to Canada in 1965, where he lived and worked until 1969. The Jackson Walker office was in a terrace in East Melbourne with other architects, including Kevin Borland, sharing staff and expertise.

In 1969 Jackson Walker were one of a number of noted architects tasked with designing houses for the new Elliston Estate in Rosanna a suburb in the north of Melbourne developed by Merchant Builders, a planned subdivision with common gardens without fences and similarly styled low slung brick and timber designs.

Though a young practice, Jackson Walker then worked principally on large scale projects. One early area of success was in schools, designing Lauriston Girls School Special Studies Building (1969), a bold red brick design wrapping around a courtyard, which won the RAIA (Vic) Bronze Medal in 1970. This was followed by Princes Hill High School (1972) in bold Brutalist concrete style, which also won the Bronze Medal , and the even bolder form of the R.A.W. Woodgate Resource Centre at MLC the next year, which won a Bronze Medal in the General Buildings category in 1974.

Other notable projects include two very bold sculptural bare concrete Brutalist designs, the YMCA in Suva, Fiji (1973), and the Canberra School of Music (1976, now Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music).

In the 1970s Jackson designed a few residential projects in the rough-hewn unpainted timber type then gaining popularity. One was his own holiday house in Shoreham on the Mornington Peninsula, a design of many levels and layers, and another a house for the Abrahams family on the beachfront at Brighton (1979).

About 1990 Jackson was awarded the major project to build the new Museum of Victoria on Southbank, in a design of angled forms, domes and stripes. This was only partially built, and later transformed into part of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre by the up and coming firm Denton Corker Marshall.

A major redevelopment of the MCG followed, with the Great Southern Stand (now the Shane Warne Stand) completed in 1992. Designed in association with Tompkins Shaw & Evans, who had done MCG stands previously, it features a dramatic expressed cantilevered steel structure supporting a continuous roof. This was followed by a similar design, but with a fabric roof, for the Northern Grandstand at 'the Gabba' in Brisbane, completed in 1997. That design was repeated in stages around the ground until in 2005 it encircled the whole oval. In 2006, Jackson returned as part of a consortium of five architects to design the Great Northern Stand for the other half of the MCG.

The firm also designed major health facilities, including new wings at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Austin Hospital, both in Melbourne.

The new County Court of Victoria on the corner of William and Lonsdale Streets was another award winning project, completed in 2002. Designed in association with Lyons, it features angular and folded geometries, and a dramatic cantilevered porch over the entrance. While Jackson unified each product with his direct design input, he placed a strong emphasis on collaborative design and idea thinking, and acknowledged the talent and co-professionalism of other designers that help piece together each project.

Major involvements with other architects included the Southern Cross Station redevelopment with Grimshaw Architects, completed in 2006, and the Great Northern Stand of the MCG as part of a consortium of five practices. Jackson's Sydney practice, Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Pty Ltd, was the Executive Architect for the Frank Gehry-designed The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building for the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), which was completed in 2015.

Other notable works mentioned on the practice website in 2026 include:

Education projects Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Resource Centre Redevelopment of the University of Ballarat Redevelopment of the Wesley College – St. Kilda Road Campus Junior School (formerly known as the Preparatory School) Swinburne University Graduate School of Business The Snow Centre for Education in the Asian Century, Canberra Grammar School University of Queensland Bioscience Precinct, University of Queensland Victoria University City Campus Tower, Melbourne University of Canterbury Canterbury Engineering the Future (CETF), University of Canterbury University of Canterbury Gateway Building, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand James Cook University Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine Townsville, QLD

Residential projects Wuxi Housing Development, China Elliston Estate, Rosanna College Square Student Housing, Carlton Fitzroy Apartments, Fitzroy

Health and research Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, Austin Hospital Royal Prince Alfred Hospital redevelopment Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital redevelopment Royal Melbourne Hospital redevelopment Prince of Wales Hospital redevelopment Royal Australasian College of Surgeons redevelopment CSIRO Discovery Centre Box Hill Hospital Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

Sport and recreation Telstra Dome with Populous Melbourne Cricket Ground Northern Stand Frankston Arts Centre Melbourne Park Eastern Plaza Maribyrnong, Victoria Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre Essendon Football Club High Performance Facility Royal Melbourne Tennis Club

Commercial and retail 480 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne European Serviced Offices, Budapest Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra Brindabella Business Park, Canberra Canberra Centre, Canberra

Government Attorney General's Department Canberra West Australian Police Academy Impulse Airlines hangar at Canberra Airport Capital Jet Facility at Canberra Airport

Master-planning Bond University Griffith University University of Melbourne Canberra Grammar School Carlton Housing Redevelopment

Other activities Jackson taught architecture at RMIT, and wrote a regular column on housing for The Age from 1966 to 1999. Jackson was also a principal lecturer at Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) conventions and a visiting professor of architecture and design at the University of New South Wales in 1982.

Other roles included at different times serving as chairman of the Australian Film Institute, Trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria, member of the Victoria Council of the Arts, Vice President of the Melbourne Cricket Club, director of the Essendon Football Club, president of Wesley College (Victoria), and chair of the Heritage Council of Victoria.

Jackson has published three books on his practice : Daryl Jackson, architecture, drawings and photographs, Macmillan, South Melbourne, 1984; Daryl Jackson: selected and current works, Images Publishing, Mulgrave, Vic., 1996; and Evolutionary modernism: Daryl Jackson, Melbourne University Publishing, 2006.

Personal life Daryl Jackson married Kay in 1961, and had four children, two of whom are also architects. Sara Jackson worked worked in her father's office in the 1990s, and since 2013 has been a Director. Tim Jackson is also an architect, and in 1998 was a founding partner of Jackson, Clements, Burroughs, known as JCB Architects.

Death Jackson died on 21 February 2026, at the age of 89.

Recognition 1987 – Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal 1990 – Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1990 for his service to architecture 2015 – A national Australian Institute of Architects Award for educational buildings was established and named the Daryl Jackson Award for Educational Architecture. 1981 – Inaugural Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture for Canberra School of Art (now Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music) 2026 – Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture for ANU Music School, Canberra

Daryl Jackson

1982 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Robert Haddon Award for Abrahams House, Brighton, Victoria 1982 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Merit Award for McLachlan Offices, Canberra (demolished). 1983 – RAIA (NSW Chapter) Merit Award for Hampden Court Apartments, North Sydney 1984 – RAIA (National) Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture for AIS National Sports Centre Swimming Halls, Canberra 1984 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for AIS National Sports Centre Swimming Halls, Canberra 1985 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for Singapore High Commission Chancery, Canberra 1985 – RAIA (National) President's Award for Espirit de Corps offices, Trenerry Crescent, Collingwood, Melbourne 1987 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for Australian Defence Force Academy Indoor Sports Hall, Canberra 1987 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Design Award for Superdrome (now Perth High Performance Centre), Mount Claremont, Perth, with Peter Hunt 1988 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Merit Award for Lake Ginninderra College, Canberra 1989 – RAIA (National) President's Award for the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra 1989 – RAIA (NSW Chapter) Merit Award for the Australian Film Television and Radio School, North Ryde, NSW 1991 – RAIA (National) International Architecture Award for Australian Chancery Complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 1991 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for Australian Institute of Sport Grandstand, Canberra 1992 – RAIA (National) Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture for MCG Great Southern Stand, Melbourne, in association with Tompkins Shaw & Evans 1992 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Victorian Architecture Medal for MCG Great Southern Stand, Melbourne, in association with Tompkins Shaw & Evans 1992 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) FDG Stanley Award Finalist for South Brisbane College of TAFE Food Technology Building, Brisbane 1992 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for University of Canberra Boiler House Lecture Theatre 1992 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Award Winner for 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, in association with Hassell Architects 1994 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Merit Award for Department of Lands Administration Offices, Midland, Perth 1997 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for Australian Institute of Sport Visitors Centre 1997 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) Civic Design Award for Capalaba Town Centre Urban Works 1997 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) FDG Stanley Award Commendation for the Northern Grandstand, Brisbane Cricket Ground 1998 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Melbourne Prize and national Interior Architecture Award for Georges Store redevelopment, Melbourne, in association with Conran Design Partnership 1998 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) Civic Design Award for Cleveland Library and Administrative Centre, Cleveland, Qld 1998 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) Environment Award and Regional Commendation for University of the Sunshine Coast Science Faculty, Qld 1998 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Urban Design Merit Award Crown Entertainment Complex Riverside Promenade, Melbourne, with Bates Smart and Perrott Lyon Mathieson 1999 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for Capital Air Jet Facility, Canberra 1999 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) Beatrice Hutton Award and Regional Commendation for Couran Cove Resort, Stradbroke Island, Qld 1999 – RAIA (National) President's Award for Recycled Buildings for Immigration Museum, Melbourne 1999 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) City of Melbourne Prize and Conservation Award for the Immigration Museum, Melbourne 1999 – RAIA (NSW Chapter) Award for DOFA Administrative Building Refurbishment 1999 – RAIA (Tasmanian Chapter) Public Building Award for Port Arthur Historic Site Visitor Centre, with Philp Lighton

Jackson Architecture

2000 – RAIA (ACT Chapter) Canberra Medallion for CSIRO Discovery Centre 2000 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Design Award for Council House Refurbishment, with Peter Hunt 2001 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Design Award for Subiaco Oval Redevelopment with Peter Hunt. (demolished 2019) 2002 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Public Architecture Award for Western Australia Police Academy, Joondaloop, Perth. 2002 – RAIA (NSW) Public Building Award for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music extensions, Sydney 2003 – RAIA (Victorian Chapter) Interior Architecture Award for the County Court of Victoria, Melbourne, with Lyons and Sinclair Knight Merz 2004 – RAIA (Queensland Chapter) Gold Coast Region Building of the Year for Nerang Library 2010 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Public Architecture Award and Regional Commendation for the WA Basketball Centre (AK Reserve), Perth, in association with Peter Hunt Architects JV 2010 – RAIA (WA Chapter) Colourbond Award for Steel Architecture and RAIA Regional Commendation for the WA Basketball Centre, Perth, in association with Peter Hunt Architects JV 2010 – Master Builders (WA) Excellence in Construction Award, Best State Government Building Commendation for the WA Basketball Centre (AK Reserve), Perth, in association with Peter Hunt Architects JV 2010 – Western Australian Heritage Award for the WA Police Midland Operations Support Facility, Perth, in association with Peter Hunt Architects JV 2012 – Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture for AIS National Sports Centre Swimming Halls, Canberra 2013 – Master Builders (Victoria) Excellence in Construction of Commercial Building for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, Melbourne in association with McConnel Smith Johnson 2014 – Master Builders (Victoria) Excellence in Commercial Construction, for Melbourne Park Eastern Precinct Redevelopment 2020 – AIA (Victorian Chapter) Maggie Edmond Enduring Architecture Award for the MCG Great Southern Stand, Melbourne, in association with Tompkins Shaw and Evans

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