Gledden Building
The Gledden Building was one of the highest buildings in Perth when built and one of the few art deco office buildings constructed. It is a rare surviving example of a thirties era reinforced concrete office building over 40 metres tall.
The building is named for engineer and early mining surveyor Robert Gledden. Gledden was appointed in 1892 as mining surveyor for the Yilgarn Goldfield and also laid out the townsites of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. Through a series of astute property investments, Gledden amassed significant wealth, retiring in 1900 at the age of forty four and spending much of his time travelling internationally.
On his passing in 1927, Gledden’s estate bequeathed £60,000 and the land on which the Gledden Building stands to the University of Western Australia. His will specified the funds were for the encouragement of education in the applied sciences, particularly engineering, surveying and mining. The Gledden Building was constructed by the University of Western Australia as a way of raising funds for two Gledden Scholarships, and also included meeting rooms on the top floor of the building where the Perth Division of The Institution of Engineers met for twenty years from 1938.
Robert Gledden’s legacy had a significant impact on engineering education through his bequest. The Gledden Scholarships, including the ‘Gledden Tour’ travelling scholarship, have supported many engineers.
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For a more detailed discussion of the architectural significance of this building, see Tom McKendrick and Elliott Langdon, Built Perth, Fremantle Press, 2019, p82.
