Henry Wallace Atkinson

Henry Wallace Atkinson was born on 22 April 1866 in Brisbane, the son of Paul Cole Atkinson from Cork, Ireland and his wife Jane (née Creech). Having finished school, he was one of the first intake of students into the Brisbane Technical College in 1883.Queensland Index of Births 1866/B5366

He was a keen athlete and was Queensland champion cyclist in 1887.

He married Martha Jane Hipwood, daughter of James Hipwood (Mayor of Brisbane) on 30 April 1891 at St Philips Church of England at Thompson Estate (now Annerley).Queensland Index of Marriages 1891/C1672{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3525816 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=9 May 1891 |accessdate=21 December 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

He was articled to architect Christian Waagepetersen and then worked as a draughtsman in the office of the Queensland Colonial Architect from 1882 to 1890. In 1889, he submitted an entry into a competition for a new Head Fire Station on the corner of Ann and Edward Streets in Brisbane. Having won the competition, he left the Queensland Public Service and started his own private practice. The Head Fire Station was completed in December 1890 but has since been demolished. However, his architectural practice has continued through a series of partnerships.

In 1907, he took Charles McLay as his partner creating Atkinson and McLay.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19472484 |title=A New Firm of Architects. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=5 January 1907 |accessdate=21 December 2014 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} That partnership lasted until 1918, when McLay died. Atkinson then partnered with Arnold Henry Conrad (who had joined the firm in 1912) to create Atkinson and Conrad which lasted from 1918 until 1939.

Henry Wallace Atkinson died at his home in Cavendish Road, Coorparoo, Brisbane on 26 April 1938. He had been in poor health for more than a year prior to his death and had to reduce his architectural work.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39750314 |title=LEADING CITY ARCHITECT DEAD. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=27 April 1938 |accessdate=21 December 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}Queensland Index of Deaths 1938/B39355

In 2015, the practice founded by Henry Atkinson is known as Conrad Gargett and celebrated its 125-year anniversary.{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.conradgargett.com.au/history/|website=Conrad Gargett |accessdate=20 December 2014}}

The University of Queensland Library holds many architectural drawings by Atkinson and his practice.{{Citation | author1=Conrad & Gargett | author2=Hitch, John, 1915- | author3=Dods, Robin, 1868–1920 | author4=Hall, T. R. (Thomas Ramsay), 1879–1950 | author5=Krubers, L | author6=Job, Aubrey Horswill, 1907–2002 | author7=Conrad, Arnold Henry, 1887–1979 | author8=Gargett, Thomas Brenan Femester, 1898–1975 | author9=Atkinson, H. W. (Henry Wallace), 1866–1938 | author10=McLay, Charles H., 1860–1918 | author11=Kershaw, John, 1910- | author12=Voller, R. W. (Roderic Walter), 1909- | author13=Leven, J. F | author14=McPhee, J. D | author15=Finch, F. P | author16=Watson, R. J | author17=Fulton, C. W. T. (Charles William Thomas), 1906- | author18=Collin, James Musgrave, 1907–1974 | author19=Rylance, Mervyn Hamilton, 1906–1983 | author20=Sapsford, Thomas S | author21=Cook, Harold Morton, 1901–1968 | author22=Hall, Francis Richard, 1917–1994 | author23=Frost, K | author24=Herman, Morton, 1901- | author25=Gill, George Brockwell, 1858–1954 | author26=Chambers, C. W. (Claude William), 1861–1947 | author27=Powell, Lange Leopold, 1884–1938 | author28=MacDonald, Herbert Stanley, 1901–1972 | author29=Addison, G. M. H. (George Henry Male) | author30=Addison and MacDonald | author31=Curro, Nutter and Charlton | author32=Griffin and Knowlman Pty Ltd | author33=Hall and Dods | author34=Atkinson and McLay | author35=Cardno and Davies | author36=John Dawson and Associates | author37=Peddle, Thorp and Harvey | author38=Lund, Hutton, Newell, Paulsen | author39=Lewis, Williams and Associates | author40=Nutter, Charlton & Partners | title=Architectural drawings, [1893-1986] | publication-date=1893 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36682326 | accessdate=21 December 2014 }}

His works include:

; Atkinson

• Coorparoo School of Arts and RSL Memorial Hall (1892)

; Atkinson and Conrad

• former Balmoral Fire Station (1926){{cite QHR|16293|Balmoral Fire Station|601530|accessdate=21 December 2014}}
• Brisbane Boys College (1930){{cite QHR|15112|Brisbane Boys College|600337|accessdate=21 December 2014}}
• former Coorparoo Fire Station (1935){{cite QHR|15344|Coorparoo Fire Station (former)|600569|accessdate=21 December 2014}}

; Atkinson and McLay

• Ithaca Town Council Chambers (1910)
• Taabinga Homestead (garage, store and meat house, 1909)

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Category:Architects from Brisbane

Category:1866 births

Category:1938 deaths