Cedric Ian Turner

Born 22 February 1922 in Kew, Victoria, Cedric Ian Turner graduated Melbourne Grammar School and began a Bachelor in Architecture at University of Melbourne in 1939. Before completing his studies, he enlisted in the Australian Army in 1941, but was discharged after five months due to health problems.{{Cite journal |last=Simpson-Bull |first=Ken |date=Feb 2020 |title=C. Ian Turner and the Jelly Roll Label |url=https://www.ajm.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AJAZZ-85Feb-2020-1.pdf |journal=AJazz |issue=85 |pages=6}}

He worked as a draftsman for Sydney R. Bell & Associates until 1945 when he joined Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths & Simpson. Due to leaving his studies incomplete when he joined the Army, Turner wasn't able to register as an architect until April 1946 after completing additional studies in his spare time.{{Cite web |title=C Ian TURNER |url=https://www.builtheritage.com.au/dua_turner.html |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=www.builtheritage.com.au}} He later established his own practice C. Ian Turner & Associates in Melbourne, with work including a mix of small-scale residential projects and larger-scale industrial, commercial and civic projects. His residential work was known for considering the occupants views in the home design.{{Cite news |last=Perrott |first=Harry |date=1955-02-14 |title=View is important |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71633063?searchTerm=%22C.%20Ian%20Turner%22 |access-date=2025-05-24 |work=Argus}}{{Cite news |last=Perrott |first=Harry |date=1956-12-07 |title=Home on stilts makes most of hill site |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71769994?searchTerm=%22C.%20Ian%20Turner%22 |access-date=2025-05-24 |work=Argus}} C. Ian Turner & Associates were the architects behind a redevelopment of The Capitol Theatre in Melbourne, which begun in 1965, and included the creation of the Capitol Arcade.{{Cite news |date=3 Feb 1965 |title=Capitol Theatre Re-opening Late This Year |work=The Age |pages=5}}

Turner continued his practice until the late 1970s, after which he became an associate to town planner Kenneth Bethell. He continued this work until his death in 1983.

Outside of architecture, Turner was known for his interest in jazz within Australia.{{Cite web |last=Haesler |first=Bill |title=The Backroom Boys |url=https://jazzinaustralia.org.au/the-backroom-boys/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170714142258/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/146862/20170715-0017/jazzinaustralia.org.au/the-backroom-boys/index.html |archive-date=2017-07-15 |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=Trove |language=en}}

After serving in the war, Turner recorded several jazz sessions with Ade Monsbourgh and intended to release them under a new record label called Jelly Roll. But by 1946, he abandoned these plans because he was too busy with his architecture career.{{Cite journal |last=Miller |first=William H. |date=May 2011 |title=Letters to the Editor |journal=VJazz |issue=50 |pages=2}} Some of the acetates were given to Bill Miller and released on his Ampersand label,{{Cite journal |last=Kennedy |first=John |date=July 2001 |title=MORE ON THE C. IAN TURNER COLLECTION |journal=VJazz |issue=12 |pages=1}} and a full album of the Jelly Roll sessions was later released by the Australian Jazz Museum.Australian Jazz Museum (2003), The Jelly Roll Label Sessions 1943 - 1945, Australian Jazz Museum, Compact Disc

Turner took over as editor of Jazz Notes, an Australian journal focused on jazz music originally founded in 1941.{{Cite book |last=Blackstone |first=Orin |url=https://archive.org/details/jazzfinder4900blac/mode/2up?q=%22C.+Ian+Turner%22 |title=The Jazzfinder '49 |date=1949 |publisher=New Orleans, LA. : O. Blackstone |others=The Archive of Contemporary Music}} He remained editor between January 1945 and June 1946, and was succeeded by John W. Rippin. It was in an issue of the journal that he proposed holding a jazz convention in Melbourne over Christmas 1946, which resulted in the first Australian Jazz Convention.{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=John Steuart |url=https://archive.org/details/jazztransitionye0000wils/mode/2up?q=%22C.+Ian+Turner%22 |title=Jazz : the transition years, 1940-1960 |date=1966 |publisher=New York : Appleton-Century-Crofts |others=Internet Archive |pages=135–136}} The idea had previously been proposed to Turner by Ade Monsbourgh during the war.{{Cite web |last=Rinaldo |first=Talia |date=2015-12-22 |title=Australian Jazz Convention |url=https://fortemag.com.au/australian-jazz-convention-2/ |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=Forte Magazine |language=en-AU}} During the 1949 Convention, Turner acted acted as MC.{{Cite news |last=Currie |first=Gordon |date=31 Dec 1949 |title=Rubbing shoulders with giants of jazz |work=The Argus |pages=6}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170714142258/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/146862/20170715-0017/jazzinaustralia.org.au/the-backroom-boys/index.html Short bio on Australian Jazz] (Archived)
• [https://www.builtheritage.com.au/dua_turner.html Short bio included list of architectural work]
• [https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE22257183&mode=browse Photo of house designed by Turner] (Cnr River View Rd & Hill St. North Balwyn C. Ian Turner & Associates. 1954–55)
• [https://www.discogs.com/artist/13357791-C-Ian-Turner C. Ian Turner] on Discogs

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Category:1922 births

Category:1983 deaths

Category:Australian architects

Category:People educated at Melbourne Grammar School