Marion Mahony Griffin

Much of the information below was gathered from the Walter Burley Griffin Society. This is a good page for anyone interested in the architectural history of Castlecrag or environmentally-conscious design.

Born in Chicago in 1871, Marion Mahony was the second woman to graduate in architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was the first registered female architect in Illinois. Her professional career spanned fifty years.

A first-class architect in her own right, she married her colleague Walter Burley Griffin in 1911 and lent her beautiful drawing talent to many of his designs. Their successful design of Canberra was a joint project. They moved to Sydney and developed the Middle Harbour area. As well as working on the development, Marion was involved with the Haven Scenic Theatre.

After living in Sydney and developing the Middle Harbour area, Walter died in India in 1937. Marion eventually returned to Chicago where she continued architectural work and also became an author.