A reflection from Craig Burton

I remember applying for the position to implement the proposed Landscape Architecture Course at UWA in 1992. The interviews were held in the old Architecture building on the main campus and involved an interview, talk and a portfolio of work. All was ok except that I had left my portfolio in Sydney in the rush to get the plane and caused a few anxious moments for me with the impending interview. Professor Geoffrey London was very reassuring in his attempts to calm me down.

At the time I was teaching in the Landscape Architecture Course (since 1979) at UNSW and also at the University of Sydney in Architecture, Heritage Conservation and Landscape Architecture with Allan Correy who implemented the course at the University of Sydney c.1978. Allan was also responsible for the first Landscape design lectures at the University of Adelaide from 1962 to 1967.

I had worked with Allan when we both were working for the Government Architect’s Branch of the then NSW Department of Public Works as part of the Landscape Section in the early 1970s. It was Allan who suggested that I apply for the UWA position and he acted as one of my referees. My other referee was Professor Richard Clough, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Head of Landscape Architecture at the University of New South Wales. I had worked with Richard Clough on various design projects in Canberra and he shared with me an interest in Australian Landscape History in which he was a significant figure.

My own academic background is in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Fine Arts, Environmental Studies and Horticulture and I immediately saw an opportunity to link these disciples together at UWA because of the then existing established strands of Architecture and Fine Arts and the potential of the Landscape Architecture program to become more fully integrated as one distinctive Australian design strand and especially building upon the distinctive bio-physical and cultural environments making up the different regions of Western Australia.

Here was an opportunity to create a distinctly Australian landscape architecture building on the dialogue of culture and nature concepts rather than borrowed ideas from the northern hemisphere practices found in the UK, Europe and North America and including a legacy of influence from those from Australia who had studied landscape design in the UK and North America and had influenced the existing courses in Landscape Architecture in Australia.

I had support in this endeavour from significant practitioners in landscape design in Western Australia such as; Marion Blackwell, Jean Versheur (Lady Jean Brodie-Hall), John and Ray Oldham and Professor George Seddon.

In the first year (1993) we started in the architecture building on the main campus in very crowded conditions and most probably very dismaying for those students who had me teaching every subject every day. I would often remark that this was a “ John Cleese” moment in that I would arrive at the lecture room saying; ...” and now for something completely different.”....

A benefit of this condition was that I would arrange for real design projects with real clients and integrate the subjects into one vehicle where the site, whatever the scale, would involve graphic communication , environmental understanding of place, landscape analysis and so on until design concepts were arrived at then some technological approaches could be tested, such as working out slopes and drainage, ecology and plants which would then become an understanding of materials and construction. The design concepts could be tested in this integrated manner. So rather than separate subjects the required subjects where integrated into the design process and its evolution.

One of the great values of the UWA course was the opportunity for both horizontal and vertical integration of design projects as electives with mixture of disciplines and years working collaboratively and teaching one another.

Some of the architecture students discovered an interest in landscape design and some of the landscape students more interested in architecture and fine arts and the fine arts students adopted an interest in the other disciplines as well, leading to a healthy cross-fertilisation of thoughts, ideas and understanding.

This led to very memorable design studio participation by all students independent of individual disciplines and to my mind the distinctive character of interdisciplinary design experience which distinguished the UWA faculty.

This only increased when I was able to add extra staff to the landscape program with Richard Weller in the second year and Grant Revell in the third year. Each person was I think the best of what they do in Australia and was evolving as a distinctive landscape program within the Australian context.

Personal issues with my family resulted in my departure as co-ordinator and Richard Weller stepped eagerly into the role of which I was most grateful. A subsequent position as Adjunct Professor has allowed me to visit and reconnect at times however more sparsely of late.

Following some resolution of my family issues I have continued to teach and practice in the disciplines of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Heritage Conservation, Urban Design and Arboriculture in four different Universities in NSW and have delivered lectures internationally.

Craig Burton
24 October 2023

Craig Burton lives and works in Pittwater NSW and is director of CABCONSULTING PTY LTD. He practises as an architect, landscape architect, horticultural consultant, fine arts historian, heritage consultant and in environmental studies.