The Ambassadors Theatre opened in Perth on Saturday, September 29, 1928. This was a grand day for Perth and the Perth Daily News printed a sixteen page supplement describing all aspects of the theatre design, construction and fit-out, which was designed by Charles Bohringer of the firm Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson.
The theatre was the start of new era in theatre going - The love of beauty was given a fillip that resounded throughout the land, the knowledge of art spread more surely and purely, the study of music became intensified... the investigation of histrionics bore new fruits, and the science of architecture took on a bolder and more aesthetic outlook.
The Dream Fugue of the Ambassadors has culminated in a blaze of real beauty that will bring honor and glory to all connected with it. The theme is one that contains endless variations, variations that will bring joy and sorrow, variations that will find a solatium for the sadness and sorrow that come to all without distinction. The populace will extol the Union Theatres Ltd. for this matchless building, the apotheosis of grace and as beautiful as the curtain of Solomon (1)
From the time the first sod of earth was turned until the magnificent theatre, which has been fashioned under his expert guidance, throws open its doors to an admiring public, the contractor will have kept a strict eye on the work of construction. Contractors are remarkable men, be cause they seem to possess the faculty of doing several things at once. Mr. Stirling Rogers, contractor for the Ambassadors, has done so at all events. An army of artisans has done its work under his practised eye. They have been engaged at full pressure for fourteen months, but at last the climax has been reached and the public sees and sums up the reward of their labors.
Mr. Rogers has the unique distinction of being the youngest master builder engaged in big construction works in Australia. The foundations of his extensive knowledge were built under the expert tuition of Carlo Catani, formerly Chief Engineer of Public Works in Victoria, and he claims that he could have had no finer tutor. The technical and practical aspects of civil engineering in their entirety were studied by him firstly at London University and afterwards at Melbourne University.
Already claiming a comprehensive knowledge, and expert instruction in the various branches ol his profession, Mr. Rogers, who is now only 29 years of age, served the Australian Navy for some time on the work on hydrograpical surveying. Then he became attached to the Electricity Commission for the stupendous works associated with the brown coal scheme at Yallourn, Victoria. With plenty of practical experience behind him, as well as his embracing theoretical knowledge, Mr Rogers engaged in contracting independently, and as he himself said, from that time onwards 'he did not have a night's rest.' He has been contracting for the fast six years and in that period has been responsible for the constructional work on £750,000 worth of property. Most of this has been represented by theatres, but other works have also been carried out, such as bridge construction, roads and earthworks. A huge gasworks in Melbourne and a big bridge which introduced the first air lock in Australia have been other enterprises on which he has engaged.
It can also be claimed by Mr. Rogers that he was associated with a work of construction which set up a record in Australia for building rapidity. This was the erection of the Green Mill, the first, atmospheric house of entertainment to be built in the Commonwealth. It was finished within six weeks to the minute scheduled for its opening, and at a cost of £30,000. Over 500 men were engaged.
Only recently the company of Stirling Rogers, Ltd., with Mr. Rogers as its head, was formed in this State to engage in construction work in Western Australia. Mr. Rogers retains his business interests in Sydney and Melbourne (2).
The Perth Truth also interviewed Stirling and reported this tribute to Carlo - Returning to Melbourne [after the War] he completed the serving of his time with the Victorian Public Works Department under that fine engineer, Carlo Catani. "He was one of the best," says Stirling Rogers, referring to Mr. Catani, "a grand engineer and a grand man, and I owe pretty well all that I am to him." (3)
Stirling's career began in the Public Works Department in May 1915, however like many men at this time, his career was interrupted by the War and he enlisted in the A.I.F on April 3, 1917 at the age of 18. His occupation was listed as 'pupil engineer' and his file includes this letter, on Public Works Department letterhead, signed by Carlo Catani (4).
To whom it may concern,
Mr Rogers has been an engineering pupil since the 24th of May, 1915. During that time he has given proof of his intelligence and industry while his conduct has been unreproachable. He has passed with credit the prescribed examination for pupils and I have no doubt he will be found to be a very useful assistant in road-grading and road making, in setting out earth work and similar work in which he has already had valuable work in this department.
Signed C. Catani.
Now we know where and how he met Carlo and he could not have had a finer tutor. After the war had ended, though prior to his return to Australia, Stirling attended the University Tutorial College, London from June 14 to October 1, 1919, in order to obtain his Matriculation certificate. He returned to the Public Works Department after the war and we know this because he sent a letter on Public Works Department letterhead on September 30, 1921 to the Officer in Charge, Base Records asking for particulars of his service so he could sit for the Municipal Engineers Examination (5).
After the Public Works Department one report from 1926 says that one of his first tasks was to carry out a Topographical Survey of the Yallourn township. This was done so well done that he was given the difficult job of carrying out a hydrographical survey of the entrance to Port Phillip. Tunnelling under a river in N.S.W., during which some intricate air-lock work was necessary, was another of his tasks (6). A slight variation of this work history was presented by Stirling in a 1928 interview where they say he became attached to the Electricity Commission for the stupendous works associated with the brown coal scheme at Yallourn, Victoria (7). The State Electricty Commission (SEC) was established in 1919 and in June 1920, Sir John Monash, became the General manager. The open cut mining at Yallourn commenced in 1921. Once he left the SEC, Stirling commenced a career in theatre construction.
His first project was most likely the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne which opened November 7, 1924 (8). The theatre was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Solon Alonzo Peck. The building works were supervised by H. Byatt and Stirling Rogers. His new career in the constrution of major projects was no doubt aided by his connection to the architect, Solon Peck, who was his father-in-law.
Another of Stirling's projects was the Green Mill dancing palais on the corner of St Kilda Road and Sturt Street, which opened on September 7, 1926 (9). It was designed by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon. The main feature was the Green Mill and this was surrounded by a cluster Dutch cottages and formal gardens, and the scene will be characteristic of the Hollandic landscape. The cost of the building was £30,000 and £5,000 was spent in electric lighting. The design is the outcome of travels abroad of Mr Carlyon and Mr W. O. McCutcheon, who has spent three years studying theatre decoration and in methods of designing amusement buildings. Two hundred workmen, under Mr W. S. Rogers, are engaged on the work (10).
Speaking of his father, we will now have a look at Stirling's family life. He was born February 11, 1899 to George Hunter Rogers (1865-1952) and Isabella Wilhemina Stirling (1868 - 1938). His older brother, called George Hunter after his father, who was a teacher, had been born in 1896. Stirling married Wilga Mary Doreen Peck, the daughter of Solon Alonzo Peck and Hetta Evelyn Eva Mitchell, on October 20, 1922 at Scots Church in Melbourne (13). As a matter of interest, Solon Peck's father, John Murray Peck, who was born in New Hampshire, had arrived in Australia in 1853 with Hiram Cobb and was part of the Cobb & Co. coach company (14).
Stirling and Doreen had two children, Solon William born March 11, 1924 (15) and a daughter Shirlie Mitchell, born August 26, 1925 (16). I believe that after New Zealand, in the early 1930s, Stirling moved to England and separated from his wife. Doreen was listed in the 1934 Electoral Roll at 7 High Street Mordialloc, but he was not listed (17). The 1939 Register (18) which was compiled at the start of World War Two, lists very civilian in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. On the list are Stirling (occupation Civil Engineer), his father George (occupation 'private' means') and interestingly in the same household, Ann Rogers, born April 2, 1907 (occupation Secretary and Interpreter).
Doreen died in 1967 and her death certificate states that she was still married to Stirling at the time of her death. Stirling died in England in 1985 and his death notice in The Times lists his wife Ann and a son Hunter, and no mention of his two children with Doreen.
Footnotes
(1) Perth Daily News September 28, 1928, p. 13, see here.
(2) Perth Daily News September 28, 1928, p.18, see here.
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