Vale Steve Frederick Calhoun
The pursuit of the "big idea"
Steve Calhoun’s interest in drawing and observation led him to landscape architecture, a profession that would become both his life’s work and the vehicle through which he would make a lasting contribution to Australia.
Over a professional career spanning more than five decades, Steve helped shape the evolution of landscape architecture through his work in practice, education and professional leadership. His influence can be seen not only in the projects he designed, but in the generations of landscape architects who followed.
Born in the American Midwest, Steve studied Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University before completing a Master’s degree at Harvard University. Whilst working at Sasaki Walker Associates in Sausalito, California, David Yencken approached Peter Walker and asked if they had a landscape architect that would like to work in Australia for a year. Steve answered the call and with grand adventures in mind, travelled to Melbourne in 1976 to assist at Tract while Rodney Wulff returned to Cornell University to complete his PhD. What was initially intended as a temporary arrangement ultimately became a lifelong association with both Australia and Tract.
The mid-1970s were formative years for both the profession and the practice. Together with Rodney Wulff, Howard McCorkell and David Yencken, Steve was part of the group that established Tract as an independent consultancy following its emergence from Merchant Builders. It was a period of experimentation and innovation in planning, urban design and landscape architecture, as cities and suburbs across Australia grappled with rapid growth and changing community expectations.
Among the most influential projects of that era were the Merchant Builders cluster housing developments, including Vermont Park, one of the first major projects undertaken by Tract following its independence. The integration of housing, communal open space and substantial landscape planting represented a significant departure from conventional suburban development at the time and helped demonstrate the value of landscape-led thinking in residential environments. Steve played an influential role in the design and implementation of this and other pioneering projects, such as St Kilda Foreshore and Newcastle Harbour Foreshore which helped elevate the status of the profession at the time.
Alongside practice, Steve developed a strong commitment to education. Together with Rodney Wulff, he helped establish and teach the Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture at RMIT, one of the earliest programs of its kind in Victoria. This led onto the formation of the Landscape Architecture and Master’s Degree program at RMIT which runs to this day. At a time when the profession was still relatively small, the course helped build a pipeline of talented graduates, many of whom would go on to become influential practitioners and contribute to the growth of Tract and the broader profession to this day.
Steve’s project work reflected a consistent interest in landscape as a long-term endeavour and a deep appreciation of place. This was perhaps best demonstrated through his involvement with Tarrawarra Estate, a project that extended over several decades and reflected his belief that successful landscapes are not simply designed, but carefully managed and evolved over time. He possessed an ability to see both the practical and poetic dimensions of a place. His work demonstrated intellectual rigour, but it was equally informed by intuition, observation and a genuine delight and playfulness in the experience of landscape. He always asked, “What’s the big idea?” which was dramatically demonstrated in his city-changing work at the Cairns foreshore. The creation of the publicly accessible pool and foreshore parkland on the riverfront, that has so dramatically changed the cityscape of Cairns is a “Big Idea” personified.
As the profession matured, so too did Steve’s reputation as one of its most respected practitioners. He was recognised as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and a Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne. Yet his greatest contribution may have been less about titles and recognition than about the example he set for others. Through teaching, mentoring and practice, he encouraged a thoughtful and rigorous approach to landscape architecture that continues to influence the profession today.
For Tract, Steve’s legacy is inseparable from the story of the practice itself. As a founding director, he helped establish the values, design culture and intellectual curiosity that remain part of the practice more than fifty years later. Many of the people who worked alongside him recall not only his knowledge and experience, but also his curiosity, generosity and willingness to challenge ideas in pursuit of better outcomes.
The landscapes Steve helped create will continue to grow and mature long into the future. Equally enduring is the influence he had on the profession and the many practitioners whose careers were shaped by his guidance and example.
In the words of a young landscape architect –
“What I will remember the most, though, is not only Steve's talent, wisdom or achievements. It is his generosity, his humour, his kindness and the genuine interest he took in other people. He made those around him better. He gave his time freely, shared his knowledge generously, and encouraged young designers to believe in themselves. For that, I will always be grateful”.
Steve was a founding director, educator, mentor and master landscape architect whose contribution to Tract and to Australian landscape architecture was both significant and lasting. His legacy lives on through the places he helped create, the profession he helped strengthen and the people he inspired along the way.
A grand adventure that became a life’s legacy, he will be sadly missed.
Vale Steve Calhoun
12.08.1943 – 24.10.2026
