Brigadier Sir Bernard Evans, DSO, ED (13 May 1905 – 19 February 1981)[1] was an Australian army officer, architect, builder and Lord Mayor of Melbourne (1959–1961).

He also designed and built houses for the State Savings Bank of Victoria and hospitals for the Victorian Bush Nursing Association.

[2] The Depression saw Evans and his father head for Perth to establish a branch of their timber and hardware business, though Bernard soon returned to Melbourne as the designer and sometimes developer of blocks of flats in the early 1930s.

[4] In 1937, Evans remodeled De Bernales' mansion Overton Lodge in the Spanish Mission style, which now serves as the Cottesloe Civic Centre.

He continued his involvement in large apartment blocks as the architect for Sheridan Close in St Kilda road, built 1951–53, the largest company title `own-your-own’ flat development in Melbourne at the time.

An early major project was Ampol House, on the corner of Elizabeth and Grattan Streets, Carlton, completed in 1958, in a style of 'twenty years previously'[16] (which was demolished in 2011 despite being heritage listed[17]).

Another tower that still stands by the firm is the white gridded Legal and General Assurance buildings on the corner of Collins and Queen Streets, completed in 1967.

Smaller projects included the Golden Square car park in Lonsdale Street (1955), a 'dream home' built in 1958 in St Kilda Road that was a prize benefitting the Queen Victoria Hospital (dem), the London Assurance office built in Bourke Street (1959), an office building at 505 St Kilda Road (1960, dem), and headquarters for the Victoria Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) at 464 St Kilda Road (1965).

Evans's private companies were responsible for large suburban subdivisions, such as Witchwood Close, South Yarra, and industrial estates at Moorabbin.

He was frequently in the news with opinions on a range of matters, such as Council's role in providing housing,[22] the problems of traffic and parking,[23] putting trams underground,[24] use of the Olympic Pool,[25] an underground train[26] (eventually built as the City Loop), and advocating a lower Yarra crossing[27] (eventually built as the West Gate Bridge).

[33][34][35] DSO Citation: 'The untiring energy and enthusiasm of this commanding officer, his solid leadership and total disregard of personal danger has been the main factor to the successes which have attended the activities of 2/23 Aust.