RITTER, Paul, 1925-2010 Paul Ritter was an architect, city planner, author, inventor and a vocal critic and commentator on civic design ideas. Amongst many other achievements, he: . was a leading world expert on traffic segregation and planning (Planning for man and motor, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1964) . contributed revolutionary ideas to architectural education through his book, Educreation, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1966 . was a Perth City Councillor (East Ward), 1968-86, during which time he fought hard for the environment and the ratepayers of the city . developed and marketed Sculpcrete technology, which combines concrete and sculpture . participated in the campaign to save the Barracks Arch, Perth, from demolition . was responsible for laying the foundations of a pedestrian precinct walkway linking the Northbridge cultural centre to St George’s Terrace via arcades . used his period of imprisonment in 1986-1987, to develop a trout breeding system and later published a book, Curses from Canberra: Public Service conspiracy and the failure of democratic safeguards . spent 36 years as a ministerial adviser . produced the “1999 Ideas Plan” . was a member of the “Committee for a Vision of Perth in 2029” . created a series of programs for television Channel 31 entitled, “The Sensitive Future”. Paul Ritter was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1925. As a child in 1939, he was evacuated to England. He graduated from the University of Liverpool (Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Civic Design). Paul married fellow-graduate, Jean Patricia Finch in 1946. He graduated from Liverpool University as an architect and planner and in 1952 took up a teaching position at the Nottingham School of Architecture. The couple also ran the Ritter Press in Nottingham between 1954-1964. During this period the press published the journal Orgonomic functionalism, devoted to developing and discussing the works of Wilhelm Reich. Paul and Jean combined their talents, interests and idealism in a professional partnership, “The Planned Environment and Education Research Institute” (PEER). They published their first book in 1959, The Free Family, describing how they applied their beliefs about child-rearing to their own children. After the publication of Paul’s 1964 book, Planning for man and motor¸ he appointed as head of the City of Perth’s, (Western Australia) newly formed Department of Planning. The Ritter family migrated to Perth in 1965 and Paul began work as the City’s first planner. As the City Planner he was responsible, among other things, for introducing a far-sighted parking policy, the initial idea of making Hay Street a mall and the prevention of a planned freeway that would have severed Perth from its river. In March 1966 he presented his ideas plan for Perth to the City Council. He also brought planning to the people with his own TV series, ‘Paul Ritter Talks Planning’. In 1967, Paul was dismissed by the Perth City Council, accused of forging his signature on a leave application. He later successfully sued for wrongful dismissal and soon after returned to the City as a councillor for the East Ward, championing improvements to the area. MN 2981 1 Copyright SLWA ©2015 Paul spent 36 years as a ministerial adviser and was a member of the “Committee for a Vision of Perth in 2029”. He produced the “1999 Ideas Plan” and created a series of programs for television Channel 31 entitled, “The Sensitive Future”. In the mid-1980s Paul was imprisoned for attempting to obtain Commonwealth export grants that were not payable and attempting to mislead the Export Development Grants Board. He maintained he was framed and after his release published, Curses from Canberra: Public Service conspiracy and the failure of democratic safeguards Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ritter Material within the collection Donor advice PRIVATE ARCHIVES MANUSCRIPT NOTE (MN 2981; ACC 8432A, 9289A) SUMMARY OF CLASSES ADDRESSES ILLUSTRATIONS AGREEMENTS INVITATIONS APPLICATION FORMS LEGAL DOCUMENTS BIBLIOGRAPHIES MANUSCRIPTS BOOK REVIEWS MINUTES BUSINESS CARDS MODELS CAREER DOCUMENTATION NEWSPAPER AND JOURNAL ARTICLES CARTOONS NOTES CERTIFICATES PATENTS CHARTS PETITIONS CONFERENCE PAPERS PHOTOGRAPHS CONFERENCES PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS CORRESPONDENCE POEMS DIARIES PRESS RELEASES DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS PROPOSALS EPHEMERA PUBLICATIONS FILES REGISTRATION FILM SCRIPTS REPORTS FINANCIAL RECORDS SCRAPBOOKS GRANTS SONGS GREETING CARDS THESIS Acc. No. DESCRIPTION ADDRESSES 9289A/1 1954 – 1992 Text of addresses. Course at Nottingham. Leaflets 9289A/2 1960s Educreation. Notes and addresses for various presentations AGREEMENTS 8432A/1 1970-1993 Pergamon Press – Interamericana de Ediciones – Western Mail – Ritterings USA – Floating fish cage APPLICATION FORMS 8432A/2 1977-1991 Nomination form for 1977 citizen of the year -- Inventions award – appointment as justice of the peace – application for Legal Aid BIBLIOGRAPHIES 8432A/3 Ca. 1969-1998 Lists of books by and on Paul Ritter – list of works about concrete design MN 2981 Page 2 of 23 Copyright SLWA ©2015 BOOK REVIEWS 9289A/3 ca.1950s BUSINESS CARDS 9289A/4 Business card holders with cards CAREER DOCUMENTATION 9289A/5 N.d. Applications, recommendations, CV’s, testimonials, achievements 9289A/6 1964 – 2000 Professional overview. Applications, CV’s, testimonials, achievements 9289A/7 1965 – 1970s Job applications, award applications, campaigns 9289A/8 1969 – 1989 Collected evidence of architectural innovation – whole career. Articles, flyers 9289A/9 Post 1980 Material relevant to piecing together biography, narrative CARTOONS 8432A/4 1971 Ore obelisk in Perth, [Bill] Mitchell CERTIFICATES 9289A/10 OSM 1979 Fellow of Royal Australian Planning Institute 1980-1982 Department of Trade and Resources certificates 1996 Australian DesignMark for grass paving bio-surface [photocopy] CHARTS 9289A/595 OSM 1968 Encyclopaedia of Australian Planning. Progress chart illustrating working method CONFERENCE PAPERS 9289A/11 1960s Conference papers and presentations (incomplete) 9289A/12 May 1961 Institute Landscape Architects conference/symposium. Notes, paper 9289A/13 1966 RAIA and AASA conventions 9289A/14 1968 Perth City & Region. 10th congress of the Australian Planning Institute. Speakers included Paul Ritter 9289A/15 1970s-1980s Conference papers and presentations (incomplete) – book reviews 9289A/16 1979 APA conference. Plenary session. Summary of session led by Paul & Jean Ritter 9289A/17 1992 ‘Your Health is your Responsibility’ – City Challenge conference paper 9289A/18 1999 -2000 ‘Towards a Vision for Perth in 2029’. Papers, correspondence, submissions 9289A/19 2005 Perth coastal planning strategy. Conference papers, some by Ritter. Includes CD- ROM CONFERENCES & SEMINARS 8432A/5 1966-2000 Programs with seminars presented by Paul Ritter – Sensual Architecture congress – Towards a Vision for Perth in 2029, conference booklet – attendance at city planning scheme conference, program with notations CORRESPONDENCE 8432A/6 June 1948-December 1949 Inward 8432A/7 September 1948-January 1951 Outward 9289A/20 1950s Reich and Orgonomy. Includes correspondence with David Boadella, pamphlets 8432A/8 January 1950-December 1950 Inward 8432A/9 December 1950-June 1952 Outward 8432A/10 January 1951-August 1951 Inward 8432A/11 September 1951-December 1951 Inward 8432A/12 June 1952-December 1953 Outward MN 2981 Page 3 of 23 Copyright SLWA ©2015 8432A/13 July 1952-December 1952 Inward 8432A/14 January 1953-May 1953 Inward 8432A/15 June 1953-December 1953 Inward 8432A/16 January 1954-July 1954 Inward 8432A/17 January 1954-December 1954 Outward 8432A/18 May 1954-September 1954 Outward 8432A/19 October 1954-December 1954 Inward 8432A/20 December 1954-June 1955 Inward 9289A/21 1955 Bradbury house and factory 8432A/21 January 1955-December 1955 Inward, outward 8432A/22 January 1955-December 1955 Outward 8432A/23 May 1955-December 1957 Architectural jobs 8432A/24 June 1955-December 1955 Inward 8432A/25 September 1955- August 1958 Inward. Bradbury factory and others 8432A/26 January 1956-June 1956 Inward 8432A/27 January 1956-January 1957 Outward 8432A/28 July 1956-December 1956 Includes presentation of Reich and letters from Dick Read 8432A/29 January 1957-June 1957 Inward 8432A/30 January 1957-December 1957 Outward 8432A/31 July 1957-December 1957 Inward 8432A/32 December 1957-May 1958 inward 8432A/33 January 1958-January 1959 Outward 8432A/34 January 1958-June 1960 Architectural jobs 8432A/35 June 1958-September 1959 Child’s Eye View exhibition. Inward and outward 8432A/36 July 1958-December 1958 Inward 8432A/37 August 1958-June 1959 Inward. Bradbury factory 9289A/394 1959-1961 Industrial development at Pasture Lane, Ruddington for Bradbury & Son Ltd 8432A/38 January 1959-June 1959 Inward 8432A/39 January 1959-December 1959 Outward 8432A/40 February 1959-July 1959 Inward 8432A/41 June 1959-August 1959 Inward 8432A/42 June 1959-December 1959 Inward 8432A/43 July 1959-April 1960 Inward. Bradbury factory 8432A/44 December 1959-March 1960 Inward. Related to projects while living in England 9289A/22 January 1960- June 1960 Outgoing 9289A/23 April 1960 – September 1960 Inward 8432A/45 May 1960-October 1960 Inward. Bradbury factory 8432A/46 May 1960-February 1962 Inward 8432A/47 June 1960-April 1963 Inward 9289A/24 July 1960 – December 1960 Outward 8432A/48 July 1960-March 1965 Outward. Business 8432A/49 September 1960-December 1960 Inward 8432A/50 September 1960-February 1965 Outward. Business 8432A/51 October 1960-August 1964 Inward. Business 8432A/52 October