By Matthew Sims
Williamstown’s Phyllis Constance Murphy [née Slater] has made a lasting legacy to the look of Melbourne.
She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia [AM] in the Queen’s Birthday honours announced on Monday, June 13.
Her and her late husband John designed a number of buildings in Victoria, including the Olympic Swimming Stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, now known as the AIA Centre, and were involved in the preservation of a number of historic buildings for the National Trust of Australia.
Born in 1924, Mrs Murphy studied at the Melbourne University Architectural Atelier and the University of Melbourne.
The British journal The Architectural Review featured her and her husband’s work on residential developments, with the pair completing more than 50 modern houses by 1960.
Mrs Murphy was also involved in designs of buildings at a number of schools and a television station in Shepparton.
In addition to her architectural work, she has also become nationally renowned for her knowledge on historic wallpaper design and restoration.
