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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Westrig, Cupar, Fife, ScotlandBusiness1981 Branch office
Item 2 of 212, Abbey Plark Place, Dunfermline, Fife, ScotlandBusiness1981 Main office

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 3Oliver & Robb  Partner 
Item 2 of 3David Norman TorranceBefore 1975 Partner 
Item 3 of 3Torrance OliverBefore 1980 Partner 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 141974Lemonade Works for James WoodrowDunfermline FifeScotland 
Item 2 of 141974Printing worksDunfermline FifeScotland 
Item 3 of 141974Private housing development for H Richmond & Co.  FifeScotland 
Item 4 of 141974Private housing development for Muirhomes Ltd  FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 141974Private housing development for Rosehill Estate  FifeScotland 
Item 6 of 141974Private housing development for William Rennie & Co  FifeScotland 
Item 7 of 141974Saline HallSaline FifeScotlandExtension
Item 8 of 141974Social ClubHill Of Beath FifeScotland 
Item 9 of 141974Social clubValleyfield FifeScotland 
Item 10 of 141974Social ClubInverkeithing FifeScotland 
Item 11 of 141974Social Club for the Central Fife Contituency Labour PartyGlenrothes FifeScotland 
Item 12 of 141974Waxed Paper production area and offices for Paper Shavings Co. LtdNewtongrange MidlothianScotland 
Item 13 of 141981North of Scotland BankDunfermline FifeScotlandReconstruction
Item 14 of 141999Pictavia and Brechin Castle CentreBrechin AngusScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Gifford, John1988Fife (The Buildings of Scotland)  p194
Item 2 of 2RIBA1981Directory of Practices 1981   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIAS Chartered Architectbetween 2008 and 2009  p27
Item 2 of 2Scotsman21 May 2009