William Mason

Full description

William Mason (3/11/1917-17/8/2000) was born and raised in Sydney but worked mainly in the Northern Territory.
Mason left school at the end of 1932 with an Intermediate Certificate and in 1936 completed a conversion course to matriculate. Between 1937 and 1952 he studied architecture at Sydney Technical College. Frank Bloomfield, a well-known Sydney architect, took him on as a draughtsman and in 1956 Mason finally gained his registration.
Between 1946 and 1948 Mason worked for the Housing Commission as a draughtsman, updating existing kitchen designs. In 1949 he became an architect with the Commonwealth Department of Works in Sydney. He drew up plans and alterations for post offices in the city and suburban and rural areas; military installations in suburban and rural areas; a Qantas hangar at Mascot; and alterations to Kirribilli House. In about 1957 he became a research architect in the Department of Labour and National Service. In this position he examined conditions for factories and offices, for example the Austin Motor Company and Vicks Company, because work practices influenced building practices. He also looked at office layout with respect to function to assess how well buildings worked and studied the suitability of office furniture and equipment.
On a friend's recommendation about the favourable lifestyle in Darwin, in 1960 Mason applied successfully for a job with the Department of Works in Darwin where he was put in charge of all building works in the Northern Territory with a staff of one - a building inspector. He was also responsible for setting up the administrative section of the Building Board. He fought to get an engineer appointed and prepared changes to the regulations and instigated administration changes that put him in conflict with the Board. It took six years, after much wrangling and disruption in the department, to have these finally approved.
Mason's responsibilities included European and Aboriginal housing; stores; administration; animal husbandry; forestry; preschool, primary and high schools; and police and gaols. He had to determine if the building was needed, exactly what it was to be used for, and then how efficiently the building could be used for a minimal cost. He worked directly on the Aboriginal settlements of Maningrida on the Arafura Sea near Arnhem Land and Papunya, about 200 miles west of Alice Springs. Both had been leprosariums and families had moved there to be near their relatives. As well, he surveyed all Aboriginal settlements of between 2000 and 12,200 inhabitants to determine what was there and to make proposals for the development of water supplies, facilities generally available in small towns, potential work for residents, accommodation for staff, and stores.
Settlements had developed as centres for storehouses to improve eating habits, which led to the development of hospitals and the infrastructure necessary for hygiene. Education for Aboriginals led to reasons for further settlements. As children had to learn English, the Papunya children boarded in the accommodation provided. Their parents began to camp at the school as foodstuffs disappeared from outlying areas, leading to a need for toilets, food, kitchen, and eating halls: one for men and one for women. The population survival rate of the Aboriginal inhabitants was higher than the then average because of medical assistance, which led to improved health.
After Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in 1974, the Darwin Reconstruction Commission took control and the Works Department and Mason's job disappeared. He and his wife and family left Darwin in April 1976 to live at the Adelaide suburb of Mt Osmond. In 1986 he moved to Thirkell Street, Beaumont, building a house based on a modified Jennings plan.
Mason was active in the Darwin community and was the inaugural President of its All Nations Club, formed in the late 1960s. His interest in history led him to become a founding member of the Northern Territory History Society. After he moved to Adelaide he continued to pursue his interest in history, becoming a founding member of the Burnside Historical Society.