Jeremy Salmond

Laurence Jeremy Elder Salmond (2 January 1944 – 3 January 2023) was a New Zealand conservation architect. He received the NZIA Gold Medal, the highest honour in New Zealand architecture, in 2018.

Early life and family Salmond was born in Dunedin on 2 January 1944, the son of George McCrea Salmond and Dorothy Salmond (née Smith), and grew up in Gore. After leaving school, he completed his architecture intermediate year at the University of Otago and undertook work experience at the Ministry of Works, before completing his Bachelor of Architecture degree at the University of Auckland.

In February 1971, Salmond married anthropologist Anne Thorpe at Holy Trinity Church, Gisborne, and the couple went on to have three children, including anthropologist Amiria Salmond.

Career From 1979 to 1983, Salmond was a senior architect at Gillespie, Newman, West and Pearce, where he worked on projects including Mount Albert Library and a retirement centre at Te Kauwhata. The completion of his master's thesis coincided with a period of sabbatical leave for his wife in England, and so he lived and worked in that country with his family for a time.

During his career as a conservation architect, Salmond was involved in the restoration of many of New Zealand's most important historic buildings. His first major project was the restoration of the Auckland synagogue (now University House), which received a New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) national award. Other significant projects that Salmond worked on that received NZIA national awards include the restoration of Pompallier House (1995), the restoration of the Civic Theatre in Auckland (with Jasmax, 2000), and the restoration of Eichardt's Hotel in Queenstown (with Michael Wyatt Architects, 2002). He was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services in the 2007 New Year Honours. In 2018, he was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal, the New Zealand Institute of Architecture's highest honour, and in 2021 he received a distinguished alumnus award from the University of Auckland.

Death Salmond died in Auckland on 3 January 2023, one day after his 79th birthday.

Selected publications