It is with sadness that we mark the passing of Professor John Webster FRAIA, who died suddenly last Wednesday.
John had a distinguished career as an architect, planner and academic and made a sustained contribution to the education of architects and planners in Tasmania over several decades, as well as being a well-known fellow of the Institute.
After qualifying as an architect and town planner, John worked in local government and private practice in Britain. In 1975 he was invited to establish a permanent office in Canberra, on behalf of Holford Associates, initially working in private practice before moving to the academic sphere in Canberra and Tasmania. In 1981 he became the head of the School of Architecture and Planning in its various forms in Launceston during the 80s and 90s, and was made a fellow of the AIA in 1983. He then became involved in campus planning for the University of Tasmania before retiring from that role and turning his attention to the planning system.
He was an emeritus professor of the University of Tasmania as well as being an occasional delegate of the Tasmanian Planning Commission and a member of the Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal, being awarded a fellowship by the Planning Institute Australia in 2013.
John’s family have invited members of the Institute to help celebrate John’s life by attending his wake on Thursday, January 25th, between 2 and 4pm at the Design Centre Tasmania, cnr of Brisbane & Tamar Streets, Launceston.
From John’s son, Ralph:
All are welcome to the wake and in true Dad style, the more the merrier. We would be honoured to have any of his colleagues and friends from the AIA attend to join my family to celebrate Dad’s life. For those unable to attend but who would still like to mark Dad’s passing, we’d love stories or messages to be sent, so that they can be included in the remembrance book – please no flowers though (send to: Wendy Webster, 1 Richards Ave, Newstead, Tas, 7250). Or if they would rather make a donation on John’s behalf, then a contribution to Beyond Blue would be most welcome.
The Institute sends its condolences to John’s family and friends.