The Catani Memorial Clock Tower at St Kilda, designed by Norman Schefferle.
The bust is by Paul Montford.
Photographer: Isaac Hermann.
Norman was born on May 6, 1899, the eldest of six children to Edwin and Ethel Harriet Louisa (nee Stinton) Schefferle. Edwin and Ethel had married on October 26, 1898 at St James Old Cathedral in Melbourne. According to their marriage certificate Edwin was born at Lethbridge and Ethel at Geelong. Edwin was 24 and a farmer and Ethel was 21, she didn't have an occupation listed. There is more family history in the footnotes (1)
It appears that the couple left the Geelong region after their marriage and moved to Warragul, as that is where Norman was born. Edwin and Ethel are listed in the 1903 Electoral Roll at Lillico, just north of Warragul. Norman's brother, Frederick Vincent William, was born in Warragul in 1900 and his sister Kathleen Louisa in 1902. The next two children, Charles Gordon (1905) and Nellie Josephine (1907) were born in Camperdown, and the last child, Harold Victor was born in 1912 in Geelong. The next significant thing we can find out about the family was in April 1913 - the Geelong Advertiser reported that Edwin Schefferle, aged 40, was feeding in a large length of pine when it fouled and was hurled hack with great force. It crashed Schefferle's right thigh against another piece of timber, and a fracture of the bone near the hip resulted. (Geelong Advertiser April 11, 1913) It must have had a large impact on the family and he was lucky to survive.
In 1914, Norman enrolled at the Gordon College at Geelong (later called the Gordon Institute of Technology). I base this 1914 enrollment date on the fact that the examination results of the College were published in local papers and thus we can track Norman's scholastic achievements and he is first listed in January 1915, the results being for the previous year. In January 1915, Norman was listed as passing Drawing for builders and artisans and Building construction - Grade 1. In January 1916 he was listed as passing Building Construction - Grade 2. In February and March 1917 Norman is reported as passing Architecture - Grade 1; Drawing for Builders and Artisans; Building Construction Grade 3; Drawing from a Flat Example - both Elementary and Advanced; Geometrical Drawing - Art and Drawing Plant forms from Nature- Elementary.
I knew that Norman had enlisted to serve in the First World War so I looked for his enlistment papers and couldn't find them under Schefferle, so I assumed there was a mis-spelling and went through every entry for the men who enlisted with the first name of Norman and the surname staring with an S on the AIF project website and eventually came across a Norman Stinton - and it was him. He had enlisted on December 5, 1917. His Service Number was 7831. So why did he enlist under his mother's maiden name not his own name? One reason may have been that Schefferle sounded German - his grandparents were actually Swiss, however he lied about his age, his name, the whereabouts of his parents and his place of birth. What an audacious boy!
I presume his parents would not give permission for him to enlist - so he went and enlisted in Sydney. He said he had been born in Coolgardie in Western Australia and that he was 21, in reality he was only 18 and a half, and thus needed parental permission. In fact he signed a statuary declaration that he was born December 5, 1896 and that his parents are both living in England. However interestingly, he did tell some truths on his enlistment paper - his next of kin was his father, Edwin 'Stinton' 29 Beach Road, Drumcondra, Geelong. This was later changed to Mrs Ethel Schefferle at the same address. He listed his occupation as Architect. To the question Are you or have you been an apprentice? he answered Laird & Buchan, Geelong 2½ years. Assuming this is correct, this means he started his apprenticeship in mid 1915, but that is of less significance than to whom he was apprenticed to - Laird and Buchan.
Laird and Buchan were a Geelong firm, started by J. Angus Laird. Thomas Johnston Buchan (1874 - 1962) became a partner in the firm in 1906. Thomas Buchan became President of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in 1930 and he was the judge of the competition to erect a clock tower as a memorial to Carlo Catani at St Kilda. The winner of this competition was Norman Schefferle and the clock tower was unveiled in 1932 (read about this here and read about the other entries in the competition, here.) Apparently the judging was 'blind', that is there were no names attached but it would seem unlikely that Thomas Buchan would not have been able to recognise Schefferle's work. This doesn't mean that Schefferele's work was not the best, it's just interesting.
Norman served in France and came out of the War unscathed. He used his time in France to study the local architecture. Norman wrote back twice to the Principal of the Gordon Institute, Mr G.R. King, before his Return to Australia September 5, 1919. We have been busy on the march towards Germany, to take over garrison duty in some of their towns. We have been on the march for four days now, and have during that time covered about 35 miles, and at the end of each day's march we have billeted in different French villages, which have been occupied by the Hun for over four years. I had the opportunity of looking through small village churches, which contain some very fine detail work in the inside finishings. I am sending home a piece of carving which I found amongst some ruins of one of the beautiful churches, and if it arrives safely you shall see it. My idea was that a complete design of this would make a very suitable head decoration for an honor board, or such like. (Geelong Advertiser, June 25, 1919)
The second letter highlights his ambition and determination - I may be finished with the fight for freedom, but I am in for a harder fight now; for I realise that the path to success is not altogether a mechanical stair case, and that there are as many obstacles to overcome as there were in the finished fight. I have hopped over with rather a right barrage of education, but I have the good bayonet of determination and a keen ambition for being a successful architect. At the glorious finish of the fight may I be as the present day Foch and able to place my name on a piece of works like Amiens. This is my ambition, I have, using your words, "Hitched my waggon to a star."
I received a 'Geelong Advertiser' some time back, and in it I found a very interesting par on the proposed new Geelong Hospital. I have presumed a hope that I will have a slight share in the designs for the building, so intend in future, to visit and study the hospitals that I may have the opportunity of seeing over here. Nothing will satisfy me but to see in our Geelong the most up-to-date hospital on earth or Australia at least. The building is going to play the part of commemorating the Peace which the Allies' victory has won for us all, and a memorial to be symbolical of such a glorious occasion and to display fully the peoples' hearty gratification of it, will have to be one of utmost perfection in art. Surely we cannot over value the victory when it has cost the supreme sacrifice of such men as our architectural student heroes were ; so thus again, at least, we can attempt to materialise the value of our victory by shunning all that is inferior and accepting only the superlative of art. So may I hope to have the satisfaction that the finest hospital on earth is in Geelong.
I am expecting to get Paris leave in a couple of weeks time, so there will be some more rubber-neck work for me then. I will make sure of getting around the hospitals, for I expect they will not be very far behind the times there. A large hospital should afford a fair amount of study - first, the utility and convenience of the planning, then sanitation and the hygienic nature of fitting out and such problems as heating, ventilation, sewerage and fire escapes etc., require due consideration.
"The words that "architecture symbolises the people" are very true, and I found a splendid example of it at Brussels. The Germans, sure of victory, had practically finished building their National Bank there when they had to evacuate the city. This large building is built of stone and at an enormous cost, but I do not know of an instance where architecture has been so cruelly debased. Truly it is a perfect symbol of the German nation itself. The building is absolutely hideous to behold, and it stamps in mind the barbarous and ruthless qualities of the German. I hope to see this unsightly building demolished and not left, to mar the beautiful architecture that the city of Brussels already contains. (Geelong Advertiser, May 8 1919)
On his return to Geelong a 'welcome home' was given to Norman and Will Page, another Gordon College student. Angus Laird was one of those who presented a toast and he was described as the employer of both boys. Norman then completed his studies and continued his work with Laird and Buchan until 1921 when he travelled to England. One of the buildings that Norman had a role in the design of while at Buchan and Laird, was Lascelles Memorial Laboratory at the Gordon Institute, (Geelong Advertiser, July 7, 1922) It was officially opened November 1922.
Gordon Institute of Technology - Textile College. Photographer: Robert Pockley.
The building on the left with the curved front is the T.E. Bostock Memorial building, designed by Laird and Buchan in 1928. The next building is the Lascelles Memorial Chemical Laboratory, built in 1921, which Schefferele had a role in designing. The taller building to the right was built 1949/1950 and designed by Percy Everett. Thus the Lascelles Memorial building was erected first and then had the two later additions.
State Library of Victoria Image H2007.25/18.
Some of this caption information comes from the State Library of Victoria.
During his time as a lecturer he also became the Secretary of the Geelong Memorials Historical Society, a new Society formed to record and preserve Geelong's memorials. The meeting to form the Society was attended by architects including Norman Schefferle, Harold Trigg as well as Paul Montford, the sculptor, whose bust of Carlo Catani forms an integral part of Schefferle's monument to Catani. You can read the full report of the establishment of this Society in November 1923, here. Schefferle clearly had an interest in this area of monuments and memorials as when he was in London it was reported that he had submitted designs for important memorials. (Geelong Advertiser July 7, 1922)
The Gordon Institute of Technology Staff before 1924.
Norman Schefferle is top row on the right. George King, the Principal is in the front row, sixth from right). Next to Mr King is Paul Montford, the man who created the bust of Carlo Catani at the foot of Schefferle's Clock Tower monument. See footnote (2) for a list of the others identified in the photo.
Image courtesy of Dale Kent, Records Manager, Gordon Institute, via Isaac Hermann.
A more significant event took place in Norman's life on November 23, 1923, when he married Phyllis Christie Lees. His witness was Harold Trigg. Harold was born in 1896 and was thus few years older than Norman. He also studied at Gordon College and his time there overlapped that of Norman. Trigg's study was interrupted by his enlistment on July 21, 1915, when he was 19 years old. He was listed as an Architectural student, and was (or had been) an architectural apprentice to
Mr T. Slevin (3) for 3½ years. Harold was badly wounded (gun shot wound to left shoulder) and returned to Australia in January 1917 and was medically discharged in the April. Harold resumed his studies at the Gordon College and in 1919 was appointed as a lecturer. In 1924 he commenced practice on his own, and this practice was taken over by Norman Schefferle in late 1928, when Harold was appointed the Assistant Chief Architect, Public Works Department in Perth. Some of Harold Trigg's life and work is discussed here, in the Ashby Heritage Review from 2009 undertaken by Dr David Rowe, Authentic Heritage Services Pty Ltd and Wendy Jacobs, Architect & Heritage Consultant.
Back to the wedding - Norman and Phyllis were married at the High Church Presbyterian Church in Geelong. Phyllis had been born in Scotland and her address was High Church manse, Geelong. I wonder how they met? There is a Phyllis C. Lees listed in the Shipping Records who arrived in Melbourne in October 1923 on the Ceramic, so perhaps they met whilst Norman was away in Europe and the Continent in 1921 and 1922. They had three children (4). The High Church in Geelong, built in 1862 was renovated in 1926, with Norman Schefferle being the architect. It was called the High Church due to the fact it was built on high ground. It was renamed St Giles in 1927.
In May 1926, Norman resigned his position at the Institute and took up private practice in Geelong, at 96 Ryrie Street. Architects often had advertisements for tenders to obtain builders for their projects, and these give us some idea of the types of projects Norman undertook - in May 1926 - Business premises, Pakington Street, Geelong West for Crawcour Brothers (see here); in February 1928 - new shop fronts and residences at 194-196 Pakington Street, Geelong ; June 1928 - timber and tile residence, Noble Street, Newtown and a 'Modern milk treatment and distributing dairy, Essendon' in June 1933.
Schefferle also had some civic commitments - for instance he was the Secretary of the Citizen's Beach Improvement Committee - one of the duties of which was to judge a sand castle building competition in March 1927. In the November, Schefferle and Harold Trigg gave a lecture at Gordon Institute on fine specimens of monumental art at the Eastern and Western cemeteries in Geelong. He was also the Secretary of the Geelong Civic Association and he wrote a letter to the Geelong Advertiser about the mutual benefits the Association brings to both Geelong and the members - The progress of the city rests with the busy citizens; without their support and interest the city will soon fade away and with it all the needs of being busy citizens. Therefore, to-day is the time for the young busy man to spare some of his precious minutes for civic affairs to see that the progress of the city is being properly assured, so that his own progress and success, will be made possible. (Geelong Advertiser, May 12, 1928)
In December 1928, Schefferle formed a partnership with J. Gordon Williams. I do not have much information on either Williams or the length of the partnership. However some of William's work includes alterations and additions to 55 Bellarine Street in Geelong (see here) in 1929; remodelling of the Paramount Theatre in Colac on 1932 (see here); 32 Stephen Street, Newtown designed by Williams in 1938 (see here) and the Trans-Otway Bus Terminal, Ryrie Street Geelong in 1948 (see here)
Geelong Advertiser December 12, 1928
In December 1929, Norman won the competition to design the City of Caulfield War Memorial. The competition was conducted by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects and was restricted to returned soldier architects. It was unveiled on Anzac Day in 1931. In July 1930 he won another high profile memorial competition, the Carlo Catani Memorial clock tower, which we spoke about before. Read about this memorial, which incorporated the bronze bust of Catani, by Paul Montford, here and here.
Caulfield War Memorial, designed by Norman Schefferle.
Memorial, Park Gerdens, Caulfield. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria Image H32492/1068
In October 1936, the architectural firm of Schefferle and Davies was formed when R. Haydn Davies joined the practice. Davies had also studied at the Gordon Institute. Davies had entered the staff of Laird and Buchan, architects, as an articled pupil during the war period. At the conclusion of a successful term of indenture, he qualified as an Associate of the Institute. Afterwards he went abroad to further his vision and his studies. (Geelong Advertiser April 13, 1927) Amongst the work Schefferele undertook around this time was the £30,000 New Carlton Hotel and a block of flats in Domain Road, overlooking the Botanic Gardens, credited to Schefferele and Davies. The report in The Herald said they were on the most modern continental lines, incorporating many new features studied during a recent tour abroad by one of the architects. They are pictured, below.
Block of flats in Domain Road, overlooking the Botanic Gardens, designed by Schefferle and Davies.
The Herald May 31, 1939
The Second World War years saw Norman take up a number of Government roles - Chairman of the Geelong Port Reference Board in February 1942 and in May of the same year to an executive position in the Department of War Organisation of Industry, in its relation to the building industry. (The Argus May 13, 1942) In March 1946 The Herald listed Schefferle as the Government's Building Supplies Director however in June 1946 The Argus listed his title as the State Housing Director and in July 1946 The Argus described him as the Director of the Building Directorate for Victoria. The role (or roles) were obviously concerned with War time and Post-War housing issues and the shortage of building materials.
Schefferle was appointed to an International role in 1946. The Age reported on the new role [Mr Schefferle] has been selected by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration to go to China as a housing expert, will be responsible for assistance in the rehabilitation programme in planning for suitable houses in devastated and flooded areas. Mr. Schefferle possibly will operate in the Yellow River flooded area and the devastated cities of Canton, Changsha and Hankow. He will leave by aeroplane for China on July 12. (The Age July 1, 1946) The role actually seemed broader than this, if a report in The Age of June 23, 1947 is correct. Schefferle's role had come to an end and he was returning to Australia after nearly a year of service with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, investigating the post-war housing situation in China: Mr. Schefferle worked with the Ministry of the Interior of the Chinese Government, on loan from U.N.R.R.A., investigating the effect of the war on housing in Shanghai, Nanking, Peiping, Changsha, Hankow, Chinklang and other cities, and has submitted reports and recommendations to the Ministry of the Interior.
On his return to Australia, Schefferle, was re-appointed to a Victorian Government role as the Building Control Officer. The position had a salary range of £846 to £936 according to The Herald of May 26, 1948. Either this appointment did not last long or else Schefferle was still working as an architect because in January 1949 Schefferle and Davies were selected to design the new Kilmore Hospital. This was a bit of a saga and by 1954 the Hospital still hadn't been erected and the Kilmore Free Press reported that the Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission would be unlikely to fund the hospital before 1957. Not sure if the Schefferle and Davies design was actually ever built.
In June 1954 Norman Schefferele was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects. I don't have much more information about Norman after this date. In 1955 Schefferle and Davies designed a Garage, Showroom and Service Station in Moorabool Street, Geelong and in 1956 they designed a residence at 85 Splatt Street in Swan Hill (see here). According to the Electoral Roll he and his wife, Phyllis, lived their whole married life in the Geelong area. Norman died March 19, 1983 and was cremated at the Ballarat Crematorium and his ashes 'were scattered in our grounds' according to their website (see here) It's sort of interesting that for a man who had an interest in and made a study of monuments and memorials that he ended up with no memorial.
Norman Schefferle was adventurous, ambitious, civic minded and hard working and I feel that his professional and public life and his ethos of mutual responsibility or commitment can be summarised in his own words, so I will repeat his quote from May 1928 - The progress of the city rests with the busy citizens; without their support and interest the city will soon fade away and with it all the needs of being busy citizens. Therefore, to-day is the time for the young busy man to spare some of his precious minutes for civic affairs to see that the progress of the city is being properly assured, so that his own progress and success, will be made possible. (Geelong Advertiser, May 12, 1928).
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Acknowledgement: Some of the information in this post, especially that concerning Schefferle's roles in World War Two and his United Nations appointment to China, was brought to my attention by my research colleague, Isaac Hermann. Thank you, Isaac!
Trove list: I have created a list of articles on Trove on Norman Schefferle, his family and people connected to him. You can access it here. All the articles referenced here are on the list.
Footnotes
(1) Family information. Norman Schefferle's father Edwin was the son of Kilian and Catherine (nee Laing) Schefferle. They were married in Switzerland and had eight children. Kilian died February 5, 1883 at the age of 39. He had been in Victoria for 14 years and he left behind six living children aged between ten and one, according to the death certificate. As you may imagine it was a hard life for a widow with a young family and Catherine married 48 year old Xavier Muhlebach on April 17, 1884. Xavier was a bachelor and had also been born in Switzerland.
Norman's father, Edwin Schefferle, died in 1958 at the age of 84. Norman's mother, Ethel Louise, was the daughter of William and Louisa Stinton. Louisa's maiden name was Nash, but she also used her step-father's surname of Griffin. William Stinton's occupation is listed as a Florist and in the Electoral Roll as a Nurseryman. Ethel died August 23, 1962.
Norman, as we know was the eldest child. Here is some brief information on his siblings.
Frederick Vincent William - born at Warragul in 1900. Married Irene Grace Crook in 1946. Died 1989 aged 88.
Kathleen Louisa - born at Warragul in 1902. Married Richard George Mcewan on September 10, 1927. She died in 1983.
Charles Gordon - born 1905 and died in 1906, at the age of 20 months, at Camperdown.
Nellie Josephine - born in 1907 in Camperdown. Married Harry Percy Gambold in 1932. He was a school teacher and in the birth announcement of their babies in 1935 and 1938 their address was State School No. 952, Mia Mia. Nellie died in 1991.
Harold Victor - born in 1912 in Geelong. He married Alma in 1942. Harold died 1998.
(2) The Gordon Institute of Technology Staff before 1924 photo -
This is the list of names that was attached to the back of the photo of the staff. My colleague, Isaac Hermann, identified the identity of No. 7 in the front row as Paul Montford. Good detecting! Thanks to Isaac for contacting Dale Kent, Records Manager at Gordon Institute and to Dale for supplying this photograph to us as well as other helpful and interesting material.
(3) Thomas Daniel Slevin - architect. Thomas Daniel Slevin designed Montana, 53 The Esplanade, Drumcondra, in 1911 (see here); the Catholic Church in Lara in 1912 - it later became a Baptist Church; the Catholic Presbytery and Hall in Geelong in 1914, St Mary's Boys' College in Geelong in 1918 and supervised the construction of Trades Hall in Geelong in 1928, amongst other work. He died in 1955 aged 75
(4) Norman and Phyllis Schefferle had three children - Edwin James, Henrietta and Norma Jean. Phyllis died June 16, 1980. Her ashes were also scattered at the Ballarat Cemetery grounds. Here's what I know about the children - Henrietta and Norma travelled overseas with Phyllis in December 1938 and Henrietta was listed as being 11 years old (thus born 1927/1928) and Norma three years old.
Edwin James was born September 15, 1925. He died October 22, 2014. This lovely tribute was published on the Melbourne International Film Festival Facebook page - We are saddened to hear of the passing overnight of Edwin Schefferle, one of the founders of the Melbourne Film Festival. Scheff, as he was known to his friends and the film community, was a seminal member of the team which organised the Olinda Film Festival in and subsequent Melbourne Film Festivals from his position at the State Film Centre. On his retirement in 1983 he served on many bodies involved with non-theatrical film exhibition until he finally retired in 1998. He was forever forward looking and adapted and promoted 16mm screenings in his youth and was one of the first to see and encourage the use of digital projection. Even when confined to a Special Accom. facility in the last few years he was still screening DVDs from his collection to residents. MIFF is hugely indebted to Scheff's passion and incredible knowledge of film. Scheff, we salute you!!
Henrietta (also called Netta) completed a Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University in 1948. She had a number of papers published - The Microbiology of Built Up Poultry Litter (see here) and The Decomposition of Uric Acid in Built Up Poultry Litter (see here). She worked in Scotland and returned to Geelong when she retired and joined the Friends of the Geelong Botanic Gardens - they had a short obituary of Netta in their October 2019 newsletter, see here. Netta died August 23, 2019 at the age of 91. Thank you to Dale Kent, Records Manager, Gordon Institute for the link to Netta's connection to the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Norma was born December 6, 1934 according to a passenger list when she went to England in April 1960. Her occupation was listed a Secretary. In 1963 Norma was listed in the Electoral Rolls at her parents address in the Geelong area, and her occupation was dietitian. I don't know anything else about her. She was alive when her brother died in 2014, but predeceased Netta. There was a nephew, Ian, listed in both James and Netta's death notices, he is Norma's son.
