George McRae

George McRae (10 September 1858 – 16 June 1923) was a Scottish architect who migrated to Australia and pursued his career in Sydney, where he became Government Architect of New South Wales and designed some of Sydney's best-known buildings.

Life

George McRae was born in Edinburgh in 1858. The register of his birth records his father as Duncan (joiner journeyman) and his mother as Mary. He arrived in Sydney in 1884 and was appointed Assistant Architect in the City Architect’s office. He became City Architect and City Building Surveyor in 1889. He held this position until 1897, when he was appointed Principal Assistant Architect to Walter Liberty Vernon in the Government Architect's Branch. In 1912 he succeeded Vernon as New South Wales Government Architect and held the position until he died in 1923.

McRae married Katie Prescott in St Mark's, Darling Point on 8 May 1895.

Career

George McRae was responsible for the design of many buildings in Sydney and other places, several of which still survive and are heritage-listed. Works undertaken by McRae during his term as Government Architect included the Education Dept Building 1912; Parcels Post Office 1913; Taronga Zoo lower entrance, top entrance, and Indian elephant house; additions to the Colonial Treasury Building in Bridge Street, and Cessnock Court House. Some of the extant buildings are: