George Henry Male Addison

{{Short description|Australian architect and artist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}

File:George Henry Male Addison.JPG

George Henry Male Addison (1857–1922) was an Australian architect and artist.{{cite web|title=George Henry Male Addison b. 1858|url=http://www.daao.org.au/bio/george-henry-male-addison/|publisher=Design & Art Australia Online|access-date=13 January 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113200316/http://www.daao.org.au/bio/george-henry-male-addison/|archive-date=13 January 2014|df=dmy-all}} Many of his buildings are now heritage-listed.

Early life

Addison was born on 23 March 1857 in Llanelly, Wales, the son of Edward James Addison (1820–1863), a Wesleyan minister and Jane Roswell née Male (1833–1860). His father undertook missionary work in West Africa but it damaged his health and he died in 1863 and Addison was raised by his maternal grandfather, Henry Male in Somerset.{{cite web|title=Births June 1857|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl?start=1857&end=1857&sq=2&eq=2&type=Births&vol=11a&pgno=565&jsexec=1&mono=0&v=MTM5NDc3NzU0Mjo2ZDJjZDNiOTA0NjFhMjQ4ZDY5OTY3ZjFjMWMyNmJiNDllYjk4MmU5&searchdef=given%3Dgeorge%26db%3Dbmd_1392656156%26type%3DBirths%26sq%3D1%26eq%3D4%26surname%3Daddison&action=Find|publisher=FreeBMD|access-date=14 March 2014}} His sister, Emily Jane Addison (1855–?) worked as a governess to the family of Alexander McArthur in Brixton and, in 1834 married their son John Percival McArthur (1858–1901).

He was articled to architect Edmund Isles Hubbard at Rotherham and studied at the Royal Academy in London.{{cite web|title=George Henry Male Addison|url=http://www.artrecord.com/index.cfm/artist/12863-addison-george-henry-male/|publisher=Australian Art Auction Records|access-date=14 March 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314090028/http://www.artrecord.com/index.cfm/artist/12863-addison-george-henry-male/|archive-date=14 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21450599 |title=The Sketcher. |newspaper=The Queenslander |location=Brisbane |date=16 July 1898 |access-date=14 March 2014 |page=118 Supplement: Unknown |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

Addison immigrated to South Australia to work on a number of large government projects. After that, he moved to Melbourne and worked for the firm Terry and Oakden, later forming the firm Oakden, Addison and Kemp. There he was one of the founders of the Melbourne Art Society along with John Mather, Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and other well-known artists.

In 1884 he married Emily Alice Maude with whom he had four children:

  • Lily Isabel Maude Addison (1885–1968)
  • Edward James Addison (1887–1956)
  • George Frederick Addison (1889–1985)
  • Edith May Addison (1892–?)

File:StateLibQld 1 151127 London Chartered Bank, Brisbane, ca. 1889.jpg

In 1889, Addison came to Brisbane to design the (former) London Chartered Bank of Australia building on the corner of Queen and Creek Streets, Brisbane (demolished 1976). He liked the climate and decided to stay, working on his own. Later he went into partnership with his son George.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50614789 |title=Architect's death; 65. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=13 December 1954 |access-date=15 March 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} His daughter Lily worked as a draftswoman and then architect in her father's firm; she was one of the earliest women to practice architecture in Australia.

Works

His works included:

  • The Albert Street Uniting Church, Brisbane, built in 1888–89{{cite QHR|14841|Albert Street Uniting Church|600066|accessdate=10 March 2014}}
  • The villa Cliveden Mansions, built in 1888 at Spring Hill{{cite QHR|17005|Cliveden Mansions|602186|accessdate=10 March 2014}}
  • The villa Kirkston, built in 1888–89 at Windsor{{cite QHR|15126|Kirkston|600351|accessdate=10 March 2014}}
  • Extensive additions to the villa Stanley Hall at Clayfield, in 1889{{cite QHR|14958|Stanley Hall|600183|accessdate=10 March 2014}}
  • The Mansions, 40 George Street, Brisbane built in 1889.
  • Fernbrook, his home in Indooroopilly built c. 1889. Fernbrook was eventually demolished in the 1920s and the University of Queensland silver-lead mine resides on the land.{{Cite book|title=Historic Brisbane: Convict Settlement to River City|last=De Vries|first=Susanna and De Vries, Jake|publisher=Pandanus Press|year=2013|isbn=9781922109804|pages=74}}{{Cite book|title=Silver Hill: The University of Queensland Silver Mine Precinct|last=Grubb|first=Ken|year=2013|pages=32}}
  • The villa Cumbooquepa, built in 1890 at South Brisbane, now part of Somerville House School
  • The Old Museum Building, Brisbane, originally an exhibition building and concert hall built in 1891
  • a religious building at All Hallows' School, a heritage-listed school at 547 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, built in 1915{{cite QHR|14975|All Hallows Convent and School|600200|accessdate=13 January 2014}}
  • buildings at the Eagle Farm Racecourse including the totaliser building, the ticket offices and the latrines, built around 1913–1914{{cite QHR|17016|Eagle Farm Racecourse and Ascot Railway Station|602195|accessdate=13 January 2014}}
  • St Columba's Church, Wilston built in 1915 {{Cite web|url=https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:360604|title=A heritage study: Brisbane places of worship pre 1940-volume 1|last=Brisbane City Council, Heritage Unit|date=1996|website=University of Queensland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216015628/https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:360604|archive-date=16 December 2017|url-status=live|access-date=16 December 2017|df=dmy-all}}
  • St Benedict's Catholic Church, 81 Mowbray Tce, East Brisbane built in 1917
  • Sacred Heart Church, Rosalie built in 1918
  • Blessed Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church, Cannon Hill in 1921{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192973279|title=MR. G. H.M. ADDISON.|date=10 February 1922|work=Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934)|access-date=1 November 2017|pages=13}}

For a number of years, he was in a partnership with Leslie Corrie as Addison and Corrie. Together they designed many prominent Brisbane buildings, including:

Later life

Addison was a chairman of the Brisbane Art Gallery.

Addison died on 6 February 1922 at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Brisbane.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20540709 |title=Death of Mr. G. H. M. Addison. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=7 February 1922 |access-date=14 March 2014 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} He was buried at the Toowong Cemetery.{{cite web|title=Addison, George Henry Male |url=https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=138623 |work=Grave Location Search |publisher=Brisbane City Council |access-date=9 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232409/https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=138623 |archive-date=12 May 2014 |df=dmy }}

References