Significant People
Leading the way
The two most prominent architects in Mackay were Harold V.M. Brown and Edwin R. Orchard. Brown designed over 13 buildings in the city centre between 1930 and 1940 and was associated with 80% of construction of Mackays city during the interwar years. Builder William Guthrie established a building company in 1921 and constructed a large number of commercial and residential buildings during the following decades.
Find out more and browse our collection of significant people in Mackay below, including those that contributed to our Sugar City’s rich Art Deco and Modernism history between the 1920s – 1940s.
Langers Lasting Legacy: From Sugar Industry Monument to Educational Hub
Written by Nicholas McDougall of the Sugar City Art Deco and Modernism Society | Published March 2025 The Mackay Sugar Research Institute stands as a commanding presence in the streetscape of West Mackay, serving as a resilient Modernist landmark that has withstood...
The Mackay’s Modernist City that never was
Written by Nicholas McDougall of the Sugar City Art Deco and Modernism Society | Published March 2025 Karl Langer was an Austrian-born architect, town planner, and landscape architect, one of Queensland's most influential architects. Born in Vienna in 1903, Karl...
Sugartropolis: Discover Sugar City Art Deco
Written by Nicholas McDougall of the Sugar City Art Deco and Modernism Society | Published March 2025 On the banks of the Pioneer River, surrounded by seemingly endless patchworks of sugar cane fields, is the city of Mackay, the gateway to North Queensland. Mackay Is...
Harold V M Brown
"Mackay's Architect" By Nicholas McDougall of the Sugar City Art Deco & Modernism SocietyThe name Harold Vivian Marsh Brown may sound like a character from a Dickens novel, but this man was one of if not the most influential architect in the history of Mackay. The...