Thomas Pollard Sampson

Sampson was born in Launceston, Tasmania, to Richard Sampson (c.1847–1917) and Caroline Elizabeth Pollard (1849–1945). His maternal grandparents were from Yorkshire, England, and his extended family were members of the Methodist Church. He attended the independent school known as Launceston High School that existed from 1884 until 1912. It was founded by Edward Alleyne Nathan who had been a teacher at Launceston Church Grammar School. The school was at Milton Hall in Frederick Street, Launceston, and eventually merged with Launceston Church Grammar School.[3] The alumni of both schools held joint reunions as the Old Launcestonians' Association after the schools merger and Sampson attended these reunions in Sydney.[4] He married Clarice Henderson on 17 February 1911 at St Philip's Church, Sydney and died on 25 Jun 1961 at the Scottish Hospital, Paddington.[5] Sampson and his wife had one daughter, Phyllis (Phyl) Marjorie Sampson, who was born on 8 August 1911 in Sydney. In February 1932, at Woollahra, she married Paul Cohen a son of Sir Samuel and Lady Cohen.[6] The marriage produced twins, Christopher and Dinah Cohen. In 1941, Paul Cohen changed his Jewish name and those of his family to Cullen. He was fighting the Germans in North Africa, Greece and Crete and knew that, were he captured he would not be treated as a Prisoner of War.[7] The marriage ended in divorce in 1961. Phyl Cullen died on 22 October 2011 in Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, aged 100 years.[8]

He was articled in architecture to A.E. Luttrell of Cameron Street, Launceston[9] In 1891 Sampson exhibited an architectural drawing of a design for a villa residence in the Tasmanian Industrial Exhibition. He had been articled for six months at that time and had become an architectural photographer taking many notable images of Launceston buildings.

Sampson moved to Sydney to practise as an architect. In 1907 he designed an estate of 32 houses in Manly, New South Wales.[10] In 1919 he partnered with Harold Minton Taylor, a solicitor, and purchased 'Rosebank House', Darlinghurst, and adjoining land. They demolished the original house and constructed several apartment blocks, including Upton Court in Forbes Street.

• R.C. Henderson Hat Manufactures, wharehouse and office, 11-13 Randle Street Surry Hills (1912)[11]
• Sydney Stadium, Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. (1912, demolished 1970)[2]
• Kama, house, 16 Llandilo Avenue, Strathfield (1913)[12]
• Romahapa, house, 22-24 Martin Road, Centennial Park (1914)[13][14]
• Villa Regina, house, Neutral Bay (1915 demolished c1976)[15]
• House, 11 Kingsland Avenue, Strathfield, New South Wales (1915)[16]
• Former Commonwealth Hotel, 461 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills (1919, facade only remains)[17]
• Upton Court, 12 residential flats, 186 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst (1919)[18][19]
• Concord Golf Club Clubhouse, Concord (1921)[20]
• Grantchester, 6 residential flats, 420 Edgecliff Road, Edgecliff (1926)[21]
• Pennant Hills Golf Club Clubhouse, Beecroft, New South Wales (1925/1929/1939)[22]
• Western Suburbs Builders' Exchange, 353-355 Liverpool Road Ashfield (1929) [23]
• House, 3 Turuga Street, Turramurra, New South Wales (1933)[24][25]
• Wallis Hall, Meriden School, Strathfield (1936)[26]
• Insurance House, 263 George Street, Sydney (1939, sandstone fenestration only remains)[27]

• Aerial view of Sydney Stadium designed in 1912 by Sampson.