Charles Tiffin (1833-1873) was born in Newcastle, England. He was a pupil of M. Thompson and later worked under John Edward Watson, both architects of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Tiffin emigrated to Australia in 1855. Soon afterwards, he entered into partnership in Hobart, with William Montgomerie Davenport Davidson, later to become Surveyor-General of Queensland. Tiffin was appointed Clerk of Works for Moreton Bay in May 1857, becoming Queensland's first Colonial Architect after Separation in 1859. He was responsible for designing and supervising the construction of more than 300 buildings throughout Queensland between 1857 and his resignation from his post in April 1872. He died in Sydney on 9 January 1873, at the age of 40. His widow, Mary Ann Tiffin, survived him by many years and lived in Brisbane until her death.