The Marble Bar in Sydney remains a testament to the design output of Varney Parkes, an Australian architect and politician who shaped the cityscape in the late nineteenth century. Born in Ryde in 1859, he balanced a career in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly with a prolific practice that spanned several decades.
Early Life and Education
The seventh child of Henry Parkes and Clarinda Varney, he attended public schools followed by The King's School in Parramatta. Early career experience included roles at the Bank of New South Wales and the Colonial Architect's Office. In 1883, he married Mary Cameron Murray, who died later that year. He subsequently married her sister, Isabella, in 1884, and they raised three surviving children.
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Parkes maintained an architectural partnership with C.H.E. Blackmann between 1880 and 1885. Together they designed Stanmore Public School in 1884, including a girls' wing added the following year, and the heritage-listed Erskineville Public School in 1883. His solo work included the 1894 Bank of New South Wales building on Broadway and a structure at the corner of Bathurst and George Streets, now part of the Town Hall Group. In 1894, he modified the spire and tower doorway of St James's Church on King Street. He also designed the 35-room country guest house Hazeldean in Wahroonga in 1898, with extensions in 1903, and the Eastwood Town Hall, constructed in 1911–12.
Political Career and Financial Status
His legislative career in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly covered multiple non-consecutive terms: 1885–1888, 1891–1894, 1894–1895, 1895–1900, and 1907–1913. During this time, he served as Postmaster-General from August 1898 to September 1899. Despite his public profile, he experienced financial instability, entering bankruptcy in 1895 and remaining in that state until 1907.
Fast facts
- Born: 1859, Ryde
- Died: 1935, Sydney
- Burial place: Faulconbridge
- Education: King's College School
- Postmaster-General: 1898-1899
- Political Party: Liberal
- Primary Occupations: Architect, Politician
Questions readers ask
What is the status of the Marble Bar designed by Parkes?
Originally built in 1893 for Adam's Hotel, it was incorporated into the Hilton Hotel in Sydney and reopened in 1973.
How many terms did Varney Parkes serve in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly?
He served five separate periods between 1885 and 1913.
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