William Campbell

William Campbell (c. 1853–after 1915) was a measurer (quantity surveyor) in Perth. 1 The son of a licensed grocer and sewing-machine agent, Campbell and his son John, a stockbroker and insurance agent, both lived and worked from adjoining premises at 30–32 South Methven Street. 2 Originally trained as a draughtsman, by 1878 Campbell was an 'architect and land surveyor', qualifying professionally as an 'ordained surveyor' around 1880. 3

He used a variety of job descriptions, including 'architect surveyor' (1881), 'surveyor of buildings' (1891), and 'ordained measurer and valuator' (1899). 4 His family moved to 29 Barossa Place, a professional residential area, in the 1890s. Subsequently, Campbell was granted planning permission 'to make alterations on his property at 30 and 38 North Methven Street', thus sub-dividing his former family home, and converting 'the dwelling houses forming 34 to 38 ... into two shops'. 5

Campbell was measurer on Hippolyte J. Blanc's Free Middle Church, Perth (1886), and for Perth Town Council's red sandstone Sandeman Library (designed by competition-winner Campbell Douglas of Glasgow, 1895). 6 Campbell was also consulted by Arbroath Police Commission (then the local authority) on tenders for replanning Arbroath's public slaughterhouse area, or 'Shambles', in 1899. 7 Two years later, when Perth Council built 'working-men's houses' at the Shore, a rival surveyor was appointed instead of Campbell who had already worked 'on many of the Council's undertakings': such contracts 'should not create a monopoly'. 8 Campbell was, additionally, an estate agent, selling land and villas built 'as required'. 9

John Campbell also sold used motor vehicles from Barossa Place as early as 1902, and in 1903, became 'one of the first car-owners in Perth'. 10