Background
John Oldham was born in Perth (19 December 1907), his father, John Oldham Senior, was a well known local architect, who had designed a number of buildings in Fremantle during the 1890s (including the Fremantle Markets), whilst his mother, Susan, was a painter.
Education
Oldham was educated at Christ Church Grammar School and as a boarder at Guildford Grammar School.
Career
In 1924 Oldham served an architectural apprenticeship to the firm Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown, which had bought his father’s business after the death of Oldham Senior in 1919. In 1928 he joined the staff of Rodney Allsop Oldham, where he worked on designs for the University of Western Australia, he then went for a year of study at the Architecture Atelier at the University of Melbourne. Oldham returned to Perth in late 1930 where he capitalised on his graphic skills to set up the ‘Poster Studio’ with Harold Krantz, where, even during the depression, he was able to make a living out of producing lino cut poster prints.
In 1932, as a result of a family legacy, he moved to Sydney, where he established Oldham Publishing Company which produced lino cut posters and calendars.
In 1934 he returned to Perth joining an architectural firm established by Krantz, as a junior partner. During 1934-1937, Oldham established himself as an architectural designer, specialising in the rendering and presentation of architectural drawings.
He drew heavily on his knowledge of the ideas of the Bauhaus and the International School. In the late 1930s Oldham and Ray joined the Communist Party and embraced its programmes – especially the Workers’ Art Guild.
He contributed substantially to the design and production of posters and programmes.
They moved to Sydney joining the architectural firm of Stephenson and Turner, and in 1939, Oldham was given the task of designing the Australian Pavilion for the 1939 New York World"s Fair. Oldham was appointed Washington’s first Government landscape architect in the 1950s. He died in 1999. Honours.