Raymond McGrath (1903-1977) trained at Sydney University (B. Arch 1926) after he enrolled in the nation’s first university course in architecture established under the foundation Professor of Architecture Leslie Wilkinson. The Sydney University degree-granting course had produced its first graduates in 1922. Raymond McGrath was intensively creative in a range of media outside of his architecture and each possessed celebrated skills in drawing, water-based media and print-making. Raymond McGrath studied painting and drawing in Sydney and was active in graphic design and private press book printing early in his career. Literature seemed to be his destiny until he was drawn to architecture while he was at University.

McGrath had begun his Sydney University training in the arts and became an acknowledged poet, editor and short-story writer before his graduation. During his undergraduate era, he also published a collection of verse, Seven Songs of Meadow Lane, that he personally illustrated, printed and bound. His private press work has not been fully studied. He continued to write poetry throughout his lifetime.

He studied art with Julian Ashton, modelling with Rayner Hoff, bookbinding with Walter Taylor (c.1921-26) and made etchings from c.1921. Inspired by Tyrell’s 1923 exhibition of relief prints, he began doing linocuts in 1923 which were soon supplanted by wood engravings from 1924, notably The Seven Songs of Meadow Lane (J.T. Kirtley, Sydney 1924), written and illus. with b/w engravings by McGrath. In 1926 he travelled to England, studied at Westminster School of Art, London, and became an important modernist architect, writer and industrial designer in the UK. Official British war artist during WWII (mostly doing drawings of aircraft production). He died in Dublin on 23 December 1977. The biography by Donal O’Donovan, God’s Architect. A life of Raymond McGrath, Kilbride Books, 1995 is the most complete treatment of his life to date.

Writers:

Staff Writer
Michael Bogle

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2012