John Overall (architect)

Sir John Wallace Overall CBE, MC & Bar (d. 2001) was an Australian World War II veteran and architect.

Overall was a soldier in the Australian Imperial Force during World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross and subsequently a Bar. When he returned to Australia following the war he worked as an architect and in 1952 was made the Chief Government Architect in the Commonwealth Department of Works. In 1957 he was appointed Commissioner of the newly established National Capital Development Commission (NCDC). In this role Overall made a significant contribution to the development of Canberra.

He returned to private practice in 1972. He was awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1982, and the ACT Planning and Land Management Offices were named as the John Overall Offices in his honour.

Sir John was a member of the Parliament House Construction Authority which oversaw the construction of the new Parliament House which was completed in 1988, a triumph which Sir John was immensely proud of.

References

*Prime Minister of Australia. [http://www.pm.gov.au/news/media_releases/2001/media_release1215.htm Press Release] , 4 September 2001
*Royal Military College of Australia [http://www.defence.gov.au/army/rmc/Main/Full-Time/Family/Family-Harrison-Memorial-Lectures.htm] Harrison Memorial Lecture November 1989

*Architecture Australia. [http://www.architectureaustralia.com/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200111&article=28&typeon=3] Obituary, 2001