Basic Biographical Details

Name: Robert Gillespie Meldrum
Designation:  
Born: 23 June 1907
Died: July 1985
Bio Notes: Robert Gillespie Meldrum was born on 23 June 1907 and was articled to William Barnet Wyllie of Kirkcaldy in 1922, attending continuation classes at the Higher Grade Public School, Burntisland and from 1924 at Viewforth Public School, Kirkcaldy. He emigrated to New Zealand and was appointed assistant to A C Ford of Invercargill in 1926, moving to the office of Miller & White in Dunedin in 1929.

He returned to Britain in 1935 to work as assistant to H S Goodhart-Rendel in London, and later in the same year transferred to the office of Gilbert Mackenzie Trench, Police Architect and Surveyor. The following year he joined Stanley Hall & Easton and Robertson of Bedford Square, and in 1937 he moved to the Air Ministry Works & Buildings Department as architectural and civil engineering assistant. He passed the special final exam in London in 1938 and was still with the Air Ministry when he was admitted ARIBA on 6 March 1939, his proposers being J Murray Easton, Arthur Fred Collins Bentley and Paul Badcock.

By 1946 Meldrum had returned to New Zealand to practise and he remained there for the rest of his life. He is mentioned as being a member of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1975. By 1978 his sight had deteriorated significantly and he resigned his membership of the RIBA.

Meldrum died in July 1985.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3814 Endsleigh Court, Upper Woburn Place, London, EnglandPrivate1939 *  
Item 2 of 39, St Andrews Street, Invercargill, New ZealandPrivate/business(?)1946 *  
Item 3 of 332, Pulham Road, Warkworth, North Auckland, New ZealandPrivate1978 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7William Barnet Wyllie19221926Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7A C Ford19261929Assistant 
Item 3 of 7Miller & White19291935Assistant 
Item 4 of 7Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel19351935Assistant 
Item 5 of 7Gilbert Mackenzie Trench19351936Assistant 
Item 6 of 7Stanley Hall, Easton & Robertson19361937Assistant 
Item 7 of 7Air Ministry Works & Buildings Department1937After 1939Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Paul Badcock6 March 1939for Associateship
Item 2 of 3Arthur Fred Collins Bentley6 March 1939for Associateship
Item 3 of 3John Murray Easton6 March 1939for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1946The RIBA Kalendar 1946-1947 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Courtesy of New Zealand Institute of Architects (per Beverley McRae)Death information  Sent September 2010
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no7114 (combined box 174)