07/02/1937 – 21/02/2026
Daryl’s relationship with Wesley began as a student at the St Kilda Road Campus, where his early interest in art and design first took shape. After graduating from RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, he established his architectural practice in the early 1960s and quickly emerged as a defining voice in Australian architecture. His work blended innovation with humanity, producing buildings that were not only admired but deeply lived in.
Daryl was widely regarded as one of the country’s most influential architects of the past 50 years, with a legacy that spans his work, writings and teaching. His buildings reflect his belief that architecture should inspire, uplift and support the people who use it. For thousands of Wesley students, his vision has done exactly that.
His architectural fingerprints are all over modern Wesley and include:
- the redevelopment of Prahran Senior School (1972);
- Glen Waverley Senior College (1983);
- Elsternwick CATA SIMC Special Interest Music School (1992);
- Early Childhood Learning Centre Prahran (1994);
- Glen Waverley Adventure Playground (1995);
- Prahran Senior Library, National Theatre and Adamson Hall Redevelopment (1997);
- Prahran Middle School (1998);
- Glen Waverley Middle, Junior and Prep Schools (1998);
- Wesley College Clunes Residential Campus (1998);
- Wesley Clunes Weavery and Manse Project (1999);
- Wesley College Masterplan (2004).
As Andrew Lemon, Wesley’s most recent historian has noted, ‘More than any other individual, Jackson reinterpreted and created the fabric of Wesley College, the physical surroundings, in the final quarter of the twentieth century’. The best example of this was the new build of the Prahran ECLC as an innovative place of learning, with a large circular gathering space as a central focal point for weekly events. Daryl worked closely with Kim Anderson on the project, who was the inaugural head of that facility, demonstrating his willingness to collaborate with those who would be using these spaces.
From the 1980s, Daryl also delivered designs for major sporting venues across Australia’s East Coast and in Asia, including the Australian Institute of Sport Swimming Pool Centre in Canberra (1981–82), which won the Sir Zelman Cowan Award in 1984. He designed the Great Southern Stand (1988–91) and later the Northern Stand (2003–05) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Other city-making Melbourne projects by Jackson include the 120 Collins Street skyscraper (1989–91) and County Court Victoria, with Lyons and SKM Architects (2002), the latter of which won the Institute’s 2003 Interior Architecture Award.
In 1981 Daryl became the inaugural president of the Wesley College Society for the Arts. This organisation made a substantial contribution to the development of Arts at Wesley, and in 1987 the art studios at the St Kilda Road Campus were named The Daryl Jackson Visual Arts Centre to honour Daryl’s tireless efforts as the Foundation President. He was made a trustee and patron of the Society for the Arts on his retirement as President.
Daryl joined the Wesley College Council in 1992 and became President in 1995, relinquishing the position in 1999. His presidency was marked by the conclusion of the principalship of Glen McArthur and the appointment and early years of David Loader. These were rather turbulent times for the College and the calm good sense and humanity of Daryl was critical in navigating these times. At the end of his term, he was significantly involved in the planning for Clunes. Indeed, it was at his suggestion that Clunes was considered as a place for a residential campus for Year 9 students. Daryl being born in Clunes brought a lovely symbiosis to the project. Since 1999 he was on the Wesley College Institute Advisory Board and was a regular guest speaker at OWCA and College events.
Daryl was involved in the wider community as Chairman of the Australian Film Institute, Trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria, Member of the Victorian Council of the Arts, Chairman of the Heritage Council of Victoria, Vice President of the Melbourne Cricket Club and Director at the Essendon Football Club.
Daryl is survived by wife Kay, son and current Council member Tim (OW1981), daughters Sara, Olivia (current parent) and Melissa (OW1987), and grandchildren Ava Jackson (OW2016), Oliver Jackson (OW2018), Maia Northam (OW2021) and Inigo (Year 10).
