James Manning (architect)

James Manning was an English born architect and builder, active in Perth Western Australia. He trained as a civil engineer, and worked in London, sailing to Perth in 1850 to assume the position of the Clerk of Works in the Comptroller-General's office in Western Australia. In this role he played an active part in the construction of a number of key colonial buildings.
Manning was known to have signed the plans for the following projects:

at Mount Eliza
Commissariat Stores
Geraldton Courthouse
Toodyay gaol
Williams Police Station
Kojonup Police Station
Lower Blackwood Police Station
Government House, Rottnest
Wooden jetty, Albany
Wooden jetty, Vasse
Wooden jetty, Bunbury
Wooden jetty, Fremantle
Wooden jetty, Champion Bay
Fremantle Traffic Bridge
Old Bunbury Post Office and Bonded Store

Perth Town Hall

Manning is often attributed as being one of the designers of the Perth Town Hall, although his contribution is more likely to have been in supervising the construction. Ray and John Oldham argued that Richard Roach Jewell was more likely to have been responsible for the design. He is thought to be responsible for the design of the Jarrah hammerbeam ceiling.