Alfred Wells (architect)

Alfred Wells (16 May 1859 – 8 December 1935) was an architect in the colony of South Australia.

Alfred was born at Marryatville a son of Percy Wells and his wife Caroline (1831–1901), and was educated at Thomas Caterer's school in Norwood.[1]

In 1871 the family returned to England aboard the Yatala, which was wrecked off the coast of France en route, but without loss of life. He undertook further schooling in Surrey, then studied architecture in London, returning to Adelaide in 1879.

He soon found employment with the Engineer-in-Chief's Department under H. C. Mais. He worked for a time with Edmund Wright before returning to the Architect-in-Chief's Department under E. J. Woods then with Ernest Bayer and Latham A. Withall.[2]

In 1885 Bayer left the partnership and Wells took his place. Withall and Wells were in 1885 responsible for two of Adelaide's outstanding structures: the Adelaide Arcade and the Jubilee Exhibition Building (demolished c. 1965), both of which sported ornamental domes. In 1888 Withall and his family left for Britain,[3] never to return, and Wells ran the business alone, designing for the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now Women's and Children's Hospital) two structures which still stand: the Allen Campbell Building and the Angas Building. Other high-profile buildings for which he was responsible were the Adelaide Electric Supply Company's building (now Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute) on East Terrace, Brookman Building on Grenfell Street, Norwood Town Hall, Thebarton Town Hall, and the South Australian Hotel on North Terrace. He retired in 1926, and died at Memorial Hospital in 1935.[4]

Other activities

He served as councillor for the City of St. Peters and, like his father, was a prominent Freemason.

Family

Wells married Gertrude E. Pollock (3 December 1860? – 8 January 1946) on 29 August 1883, living at "Rathmines" in Collinswood; they had two sons and two daughters:

• Alfred Cuthbert Wells (1884 – 30 December 1952) married Angelica Leslie Pooler (1888–) on 30 July 1910
• Geoffrey Erskine Wells (22 January 1891 – 6 October 1917) was, as Captain Wells of 2nd AIF, killed in action, Belgium.
• (Marjorie) Gertrude Wells (25 January 1888 – ) married John Digby Yeatman MM (c. January 1890 – ) on 25 September 1920. She at one time inherited a painting by Whistler,[5] later purchased by the Art Gallery of South Australia[6]
• Audrey Hall Wells (7 July 1897 – 24 October 1953) married Capt. Oscar William Chalker MC (27 July 1894 – 10 December 1953) on 20 September 1927, lived at Oak Lodge, Mount Lofty. He died of an injury to the back of his head, presumably accidental.

References

1. Sullivan, Christine. "Alfred Wells". South Australian Architects Biography Project, University of South Australia. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
2. Willis, J. "Latham Augustus Withall". South Australian Architects Biography Project, University of South Australia. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
3. "Orient Mail Passengers". South Australian Register. LIII (13, 067). South Australia. 29 September 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Designed Many Big Buildings". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 December 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
5. Nocturne: the river at Battersea is held by the SA Art Gallery
6. "Clare News at Victor Harbor". The Northern Argus. Clare, SA: National Library of Australia. 29 October 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 31 May 2015.

Further reading

• "Alfred Wells". UniSA Architects Database.