William Barnet Wyllie was born in Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland on 2 November 1879. He was articled to John Murray in Kirkcaldy, Scotland from 1894 to 1896 and remained with him as his assistant until 1899. He then worked as an assistant to John Gershom (or Gersham) Adams (1855-1928) in Edinburgh from 1899 to 1902; to David Barclay Niven (1864-1902) and Herbert Hardy Wigglesworth (1866-1949) of Niven & Wigglesworth in London in 1902-03; to John Armitage (1874-1953) in 1903-04; to Francis George Fielden Hooper (1859?-1938) in 1904-05; and at H. M. Office of Works in London from c.1905 to 1909.
Wyllie qualified as an architect in 1906 and commenced independent practice as an architect in Kirkcaldy in 1909. In c.1920, with William Williamson (1871-1952) and William Syme (c.1884-1924), Wyllie formed the brief architectural partnership Williamson, Wyllie & Syme in Kirkcaldy. In c.1925, Wyllie moved his practice to Edinburgh although he continued to live in Kirkcaldy.
Wyllie was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1907 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1939. He died at his home in Kirkcaldy on 30 April 1955.
Extensive alterations and additions to Kirkcaldy Combination Poorhouse, Kinghorn; Golf Club Factory, Kinghorn, for Wm. Gibson & Co., Ltd.; additions to 65, Nicol Street, Kirkcaldy; additions to Kinghorn Schools; new Masonic Hall, Burntisland.
For a detailed list of architectural projects by William Barnet Wyllie see the Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001