Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Kenneth Oliver | Designation: | | Born: | 4 March 1946 | Died: | 22 September 2009 | Bio Notes: | George Kenneth Oliver was born on 4 March 1946 in Galashiels, the son Alexander Pringle Oliver, market gardener and his wife, Catherine Isabella Hume Murray. He was educated at Galashiels Academy, where he took up rugby and represented the South of Scotland Schoolboys. He also showed an early talent for athletics.
He studied architecture at Edinburgh College of Art but was very involved with rugby for eight seasons. He made his debut for Gala’s 1st XV in 1966 and made 170 appearances for the team. He also excelled in rugby sevens, enabling his team to win 16 tournaments in a row and reaching 21 of 27 finals in all. In eight seasons he represented the Borders, Edinburgh Borderers, and the South and toured with the Scottish team in Argentina, winning his Scotland cap on tour to Australia in 1970. Oliver retired as a rugby player at the age of 28.
After leaving Edinburgh College of Art, he set up practice, forming a partnership with Brian Robb in 1971 in Dunfermline. He was elected ARIBA in 1972. The practice, which developed a widespread clientele, subsequently became Oliver & May and by 1980 Torrance Oliver (in partnership with David Norman Torrance). It became one of the leading architectural firms of the area. Oliver cared passionately about the regeneration of Dunfermline and served for many years as chairman of the Dunfermline City Centre management company. He gained a reputation as both a skilful architect and an astute businessman.
Illness forced Oliver to retire in in 2008 and he died of cancer in 22 April 2009 at the Ian Charles Hospital, Grantown-on-Spey, survived by his partner, Ann, (he and his wife Margaret Matthew, a marketing consultant, had divorced) and his two sons and daughter and grandson. John Gray, his friend and team-mate from the Gala XV days, described him as ‘a wonderful man’…’a great rugby player, a great friend and a great person to be around’.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Westrig, Cupar, Fife, Scotland | Business | 1981 | | Branch office | | 12, Abbey Plark Place, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland | Business | 1981 | | Main office |
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Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Gifford, John | 1988 | Fife (The Buildings of Scotland) | | | p194 | | RIBA | 1981 | Directory of Practices 1981 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIAS Chartered Architect | between 2008 and 2009 | | | p27 | | Scotsman | 21 May 2009 | | | |
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