Jane Priestman

Jane Priestman OBE (7 April 1930 – 25 January 2021) was a British designer who performed a number of high-profile roles in design and architecture. She was appointed an OBE in 1991 for her work in design and an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 1998. Background She was the daughter of Reuben Stanley Herbert and Mary Elizabeth Ramply. She married Arthur Martin Priestman in 1954. She was educated at Northwood College and Liverpool College of Art. At the Liverpool College of Art, Priestman was trained as a textile designer, as opposed to architecture. Her interest in architecture, led her to become even more interested in interior design. She relocated to Australia in 1951, with her loom by her side, in hopes of launching a career in the textile industry. Priestman quickly realised that the textile industry, for her, was short lived. Before getting her career started, she balanced raising a family, and doing freelance work for clients. Career Priestman qualified as an interior designer. Priestman ran her own design practice in the mid-1950s and became extremely successful in that for about 20 years. She began this business shortly after graduating university.