A “great maker of Australian architectural history”

Serendipitously, two events in 1974–76 were crucial in shaping the research interests of Donald Watson. They are foundational to his extraordinary scholarship and lifetime of documenting Queensland’s architectural history. In 1974, Don purchased a two-storey Georgian-style cottage in inner Brisbane. Built of mudbricks, his house led him to devise a method for dating houses and to gain a job with the National Trust of Queensland on the recommendation of his former employer, Geoffrey Pie (1938–2018), a National Trust councillor. These were the heady days of Justice Hope’s inquiry into the National Estate, the Australian Heritage Commission and grants from the National Estate program. The National Trust was an exhilarating place to work and Don’s colleagues included Richard Allom, Peter Forrest, Bob Moore, Stephen Murray