The recent passing of Anne Cunningham, born Margaret Anne Salter in 1943, marks the end of an era for women in architecture in Australia. Her death reminds us of the tremendous importance and lasting influence of the generation of women architects who fundamentally helped reshape modern architectural practice across the country. When Cunningham and Ann Keddie established their groundbreaking firm in 1981, they created what was likely Australia's first all-female architectural partnership, setting a precedent that would inspire countless women in the profession.
Both partners had young children at the time, which influenced how they structured their practice to accommodate family responsibilities. They pioneered flexible working arrangements, including part-time schedules and adaptable hours, which not only served their own needs but also attracted a series of exceptionally talented staff members. Based in Melbourne, the firm specialized in residential projects and gained national recognition by winning numerous awards for their innovative public housing schemes that prioritized community engagement and user-centered design.
Cunningham's educational journey began at the University of Melbourne, where she studied architecture from 1961 to 1965, earning her Bachelor of Architecture degree in early 1966. Her professional recognition came quickly, as she was elected an Associate of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) the following year. Upon graduation, she joined Yuncken Freeman Architects, where she gained valuable experience working on various commercial projects before moving to Donald Hendry Fulton from 1968 to 1970, focusing on industrial and housing projects, including work on the mining township of Weipa.
Her personal and professional life became intertwined when she married Dr. Ian Cunningham in 1968. The couple welcomed their first child in 1970 and their second in 1972. Between 1971 and 1973, the family relocated to Kuala Lumpur, where Cunningham took on an academic role, lecturing in architecture at the Mara Institute of Technology. Their next move took them to the United States, where she worked part-time for G Herschman Architects Inc in Cleveland, Ohio, on both residential and commercial projects from 1973 to 1974.
After returning to Australia via the United Kingdom, Cunningham worked with architect Peter Sanders and contributed to a Heritage Commission survey on shipwrecks. She had her third child in 1976 and established her own private practice the same year, focusing primarily on residential projects. At a time when societal expectations dictated that women should abandon their careers upon marriage, particularly after having children, Cunningham consistently maintained her professional trajectory from graduation through establishing her own successful firm.
With their combined expertise and respected practices, Cunningham and Keddie became key founding members of the Association of Women in Architecture (AWA) in Melbourne, which began operations in 1979. This organization was established to support women who felt alienated by the male-dominated RAIA and served as a crucial support network for women working in the architectural profession. The group successfully brought together established practitioners like Ellison Harvie, who had been working since 1902 until her death in 1984, with contemporary practitioners and students, creating an invaluable network for mutual support and professional development.
Cunningham's commitment to advancing the profession extended far beyond her own practice. She made significant contributions to the Human Rights Commission's comprehensive study on women in architecture in 1985. Her dedication to education was evident through her involvement in the Architecture in Schools program from 1979 to 1983, followed by her service on its steering committee in 1984. Encouraged by Dimity Reed, she took on leadership roles within the RAIA, first serving as Vice President (Education) in the Victorian Chapter in 1984, then as a member of the National RAIA Council in 1985.
Her professional achievements earned her numerous accolades throughout her career. She was elected Fellow of the RAIA in 1982, a significant honor that recognized her contributions to the profession. A decade later, she received an inaugural Victorian Women Achiever Award in the small business category in 1992, an initiative of the Women Chiefs d'Enterprise. In 2000, both Cunningham and Keddie received the ultimate professional recognition when they were awarded Life Fellowships of the RAIA, acknowledging their lifetime contributions to Australian architecture.
In the late 1990s, Cunningham launched ArchiTours, an innovative venture that offered guided tours of modern architecture in Melbourne and Sydney. This educational initiative, which she later developed in partnership with Stephen Crafti, helped make architecture more accessible to the general public and fostered greater appreciation for modern design. After the dissolution of the Cunningham and Keddie practice in 2004, she continued her architectural work while becoming increasingly focused on sustainable solutions and environmental responsibility.
Her later years were marked by a deep commitment to sustainability, which she demonstrated through practical applications at her property in central Victoria. There, she implemented regenerative landscaping techniques, extensive recycling programs, and retrofitting projects that served as living examples of her environmental philosophy. This hands-on approach to sustainable living reflected her lifelong commitment to innovative, responsible design practices.
Anne Cunningham's legacy extends far beyond her award-winning buildings and successful practice. She served as an inspiration, role model, and mentor to generations of women in architecture throughout Victoria and beyond. Her leadership was demonstrated not only through her exceptional architectural practice but also through her active advocacy and unwavering support for women in the profession. Her award-winning architecture was distinguished by meaningful client engagement, utilizing participatory design approaches and comprehensive user-centered needs analysis to deliver revolutionary approaches to public housing that prioritized community input and resident satisfaction.
