In the shadow of Sir Patrick: Niel Abercrombie’s planning career in Britain, Palestine and Australia 1933-1975

Patrick Abercrombie looms large over British planning history and the global spread of town and country planning philosophies through the twentieth century. However, the life and contributions of his only son Niel, a capable architect-planner in his own right, have not been documented. This paper examines the career of Niel Abercrombie (1911–1984) who worked with his father and Clifford Holliday on various planning projects in Britain and Palestine in the 1930s and then after the Second World War migrated to Australia to continue his career in public service with the NSW Department of Local Government (1946–1948), the Illawarra Planning Authority (1948–1950), the University and Board of Works in Melbourne (1950–1955), and as Town and Country Planning Commissioner of Tasmania (1956–1974). His activities are described and contributions assessed against the backdrops of urban policy transfer, British influences on Australian planning and life in the shadow of a British planning icon.