Frank Kenneth Milne (18 July 1885 – 3 October 1980), usually referred to as F. Kenneth Milne, was an Australian architect based in Adelaide, South Australia. He was regarded as one of the leading architects in the state in 1920, and continued to design buildings even in retirement. He went into partnership with a series of other architects over the course of his career, including John Richard Schomburgk Evans,[a] Charles Alexander Russell, and Rolfe Vernon Boehm. He is also known for his work as a cinema architect, having been the appointed architect for Ozone Theatres in the 1930s.
Frank Kenneth Milne was born on 18 July 1885 in the eastern Adelaide suburb of Tusmore, the seventh of eight children of land agent John Milne and his wife Lucy Edith Macgeorge. His grandfather was Sir William Milne.[4][5]
He attended both private school and state schools at Glenelg and North Adelaide. His art teacher at Mrs Kingston's school in Glenelg, Mary Overbury, taught him drawing.[4]
In 1920 John Richard Schomburgk Evans joined his practice (F. Kenneth Milne and Evans), and in 1925 Charles Alexander Russell joined them,[7] becoming Milne, Evans, and Russell.[8] The practice was dissolved in early 1930.[4]
In 1934, he was commissioned by Ozone Theatres as sole practitioner to design the rebuild of the Victor Theatre at Victor Harbor, after a fire. He was then was appointed architect for all of their South Australian projects until about 1942, when the war intervened. Ozone was a family-owned company that became the largest in South Australia. The Victa Cinema was particularly significant in the history of cinema architecture in the state, as the buildings adapted to "talkies" and architectural design embraced the principles of Streamline Moderne, a form of Art Deco. The design of the Victor had considerable impact on future new cinemas, both in modern architectural expression and with its planning for both sightlines and acoustics in the new era of talkies. More attention was also paid to concealed lighting, ventilation, and gathering spaces for patrons.[14]
In 1941, he was engaged to do an extensive remodelling of the Ozone Marryatville (now the Regal Theatre, Kensington Park).[6] The then Chelsea Cinema was state heritage-listed on 24 March 1983.[16]
Later associates in his practice, from the late 1940s onwards, included L. C. Dawkins and Rolfe Vernon Boehm (1946); Russell Stuart Ellis (1947); F. P. Bulbeck (by 1957); J. R. N. Twopeny (1960); and James Hodge (by 1964).[4]
Practice names
Milne's practices operated under the following names:[c]
F. Kenneth Milne (1909–1920)
F. Kenneth Milne & Evans (1920–1925)
F. Kenneth Milne, Evans & Russell (1925–1930)
F. Kenneth Milne (1931–1946)
F. Kenneth Milne, Dawkins & Boehm (1946–1947)
F. Kenneth Milne, Dawkins, Boehm & Ellis (1947–1955)
F. Kenneth Milne, Boehm, Ellis & Bulbeck (1956–1959)
F. Kenneth Milne, Boehm, Bulbeck & Partners (1960–1961)
F. Kenneth Milne, Boehm, Twopeny & Moss (1961–1963)
Milne semi-retired in 1957, but continued to undertake alterations to buildings designed by him, and some work for old clients until he finally retired fully in 1973.[4]
Milne and his wife Hazel gave £5000 to establish the Kenneth and Hazel Milne Travelling Scholarship in Architecture in 1958,[4] which continues as of 2024[update]. The scholarship, now worth A$20,000, is awarded to the selected "graduates of the Master of Architecture to travel and undertake study abroad and then return to Adelaide".[20]
Selected works
Norwich Union Building
In 1928-9 Milne (then in practice as F. Kenneth Milne, Evans & Russell) designed and supervised construction of an office building at 47-49 Waymouth Street, Adelaide, for Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society, which included ground floor offices for the Commercial Bank of Australia.[5] Milne regarded this building as one of his finest works.[9] The building contractor was prominent local builder Frederick Fricker, who died suddenly while on holiday, in Port Said, before the building was completed.[21][22][23] The building was officially opened on 5 June 1929, after a dinner the previous night attended by many local dignitaries.[24] Later renamed Woodards House, the building was state heritage-listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on 23 August 2013, and described as "an outstanding example of a building constructed in the Inter-War Commercial Palazzo style". An additional floor was added in 1953.[25]
Lister House, 196 North Terrace (1928–9, with Evans & Russell),[4] for Peeks Limited,[5][26] tailors, with rooms for doctors & dentists on upper floors; named after Joseph Lister, medical doctor who developed antiseptic surgery; building purchased by Commonwealth Oil Refineries in 1946; described as "Modern Gothic" and including a;[27] renamed Tobin House 2002,[d] later used as UniSA student accommodation[28]
Goldsbrough, Mort & Co. offices (1935)[4] at 172-174 North Terrace, Adelaide; additional storey being in 1935–36; named Goldsbrough House, now serves as an entry to the Myer Centre; state heritage-listed in 1986[29][30]
^John Richard Schomburgk "Jack" Evans (14 February 1892 – 26 June 1948)[1] was born in Brompton, South Australia, a son of Dr John Herbert Evans (died before 1914) and Hermine Rosalie "Rosie" Evans (née Schomburgk, daughter of Dr Richard Schomburgk) who married on 8 April 1891,[2] of Grange Road, Hindmarsh, later of Northcote terrace, Medindie. He was educated at St Peter's College and enlisted with the 1st AIF in September 1915, served with 18th Battery, 6th Field Artillery Brigade. He was awarded the MC for action at Mont St Quentin on 2 September 1918.[3] He married Jocelyn Bowman (born 1904), daughter of Edmund Bowman (perhaps died 1921), on 4 April 1934.
^ abcdefghi"Home Plots and Houses". News (Adelaide). Vol. XII, no. 1, 795. South Australia. 17 April 1929. p. 10 (Home edition). Retrieved 22 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Milne, F. Kenneth Collection"(PDF). Architecture Museum, University of South Australia. 6 September 2017. p. 20. John Richard Schomburgk Evans...became Milne's first partner, the practice becoming F. Kenneth Milne and Evans. Milne's second articled pupil, Charles Alexander Russell, became a partner in 1925.
^"Milne, F. Kenneth Collection"(PDF). Architecture Museum, University of South Australia. 6 September 2017. p. 20. John Richard Schomburgk Evans...became Milne's first partner, the practice becoming F. Kenneth Milne and Evans. Milne's second articled pupil, Charles Alexander Russell, became a partner in 1925.
^"Money in hotels". The News (Adelaide). Vol. XII, no. 1, 778. South Australia. 27 March 1929. p. 13 (Home edition). Retrieved 17 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Additions to clubhouse". News (Adelaide). Vol. XII, no. 1, 843. South Australia. 12 June 1929. p. 3 (Home edition). Retrieved 26 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mr. F. Fricker". The Chronicle (Adelaide). Vol. LXXI, no. 3, 762. South Australia. 27 October 1928. p. 36. Retrieved 26 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"47-49 Waymouth Street Adelaide". The South Australia Heritage Places database: SA Heritage Places Database Search. Retrieved 22 April 2024. ...an outstanding example of a building constructed in the Inter-War Commercial Palazzo style... additional floor constructed in 1953...
^"Goldsbrough House: 172-174 North Terrace"(PDF). City of Adelaide. 1996. The internal lift lobbies and stairwell are of particular note and have survived a major refurbishment to link the Myers department store through to North Terrace. The projected redevelopment of Myers will retain little more than the North Terrace facade.... The text in this Information Sheet was copied from the Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide (1996).