Kaberry and Chard

Kaberry and Chard was an Australian architectural firm known for designing theatres, picture theatres and town halls from around 1920 until the end of 1939. It was based in Sydney, New South Wales, and designed many theatres in every state of Australia, as well as commercial buildings. The firm's partner's were Lewis Kaberry (1879–1962) and Clifford Chard (born 1884).

Kaberry and Chard was founded by architects Lewis Kaberry and Clifford M. Chard in 1920. Based in Sydney, Kaberry and Chard grew to be a large general practice, designing buildings of all kinds, but were known especially for their design of theatres. They designed over 57 theatres around Australia.

In July 1936, Chard visited Maryborough, Queensland, to discuss proposed alterations to the Bungalow Theatre there. He also undertook a research visit to the United States, as well as studying art in France and Italy, after which he started using landscape painting as an adjunct to his work.

Also in 1936, Kaberry visited England to study the development of housing conditions and factory construction, gaining valuable knowledge for the firm which was used on his return in commercial architecture.

The partnership was dissolved on 1 January 1940, although both architects continued to practise independently in the same offices at 67 Castlereagh Street in Sydney.

Lewis Kaberry was born in 1879 in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England. His parents were Isaac Kaberry and Mary Ann Knibbs. In 1891 he was living in Bilton, Harrogate. He attended Harrogate College, a boys' school in Harrogate.

Kaberry then worked at architects Tennant and Bagley in Yorkshire before moving to London to work at the office of John Hudson FRIBA. Working as an architectural draughtsman at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, he served his Articles as an architect under the British Admiralty and worked for the Admiralty in Bermuda. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he lived there and helped to rebuild some of the buildings. He was appointed as chief draughtsman with the Bell Telephone Company in San Francisco in 1908, a position he held until 1913. In an undated letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, Kaberry described how he designed a new telephone exchange in Chinese style, inspired by an illustration of the Empress of China's bedroom for the interior wall treatment.

He married Hetty (or Hettie) Emily Coggins (1884–1975) in London in 1909. Both were Christian Scientists. They had three children, the eldest being anthropologist Phyllis Kaberry (1910–1977), who was born in San Francisco, followed by two boys. One son was called Norman. The family moved first to New Zealand in 1913, then to Newcastle, New South Wales, finally settling in the Sydney suburb of Manly in 1914. where he formed a partnership with Clifford Chard. Phyllis Kaberry attended Fort Street Girls' High School in the suburb of Petersham.