William Fielding (architect)

Born in 1875 at Lower Darwen, Lancashire, England, Fielding was the son of Mary (née Turnbull) and Robert Fielding, and was educated at Kilgrimol School in Lancashire.{{cite web |url=http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=5544&indiv=try&db=canadianbc&h=2002219 |title=U.S., Border crossings from Canada to U.S., 1825–1960 |year=2010 |publisher=Ancestry.com Operations |access-date=24 May 2017 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite book |title=International Press Who's Who N.Z. |year=1938 |publisher=National Magazines |location=Wellington |page=148}} In 1900, Fielding married Lily Midgley, and the couple went on to have two children.

File:Evening Post Building, Wellington, New Zealand (22).JPGFielding trained as an architect under John Whitaker, and later became a junior partner with Manchester architect, John Dent Harker.{{cite web |url=http://www.wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/architects/william-fielding |title=William Fielding 1875–1946 |date=8 November 2016 |website=Wellington Heritage |publisher=Wellington City Council |access-date=24 May 2017}} Fielding is known to have worked on the St Annes-on-the-Sea Carnegie Library designed by Harker.{{cite web |url=http://www.amounderness.co.uk/carnegie_library_st.annes.html |title=Proposed library, St.Annes-on-the-Sea, 1904 |website=amounderness.co.uk |access-date=24 May 2017}} Moving to New Zealand around 1908, Fielding established his own practice in Wellington in 1909, and designed nearly 300 buildings in the city and elsewhere. SIgnificant examples of his work include:

• Assembly Hall for the Vogeltown and Mornington Public Hall Society, Vennell Street, Brooklyn.{{cite news |url=http://brooklyncommunitycentre.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Brooklyn-Tattler-June-2014.pdf |title=Coordinator's corner |date=June 2014 |work=Brooklyn Tattler |page=2 |access-date=10 May 2017 |first=Euan |last=Harris}}
• Capitol Theatre, Miramar.{{cite news |url=http://urbismagazine.com/articles/good-as-gold/ |title=Good as gold |date=20 May 2013 |work=Urbis |access-date=24 May 2017 |first=Carmel |last=Rowden}}
• Congregational Church, 45 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro.
• Evening Post Building, 82 Willis Street, Te Aro.
• Flats for Mrs Turner-Cottier, 83 Kent Terrace, Te Aro.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/network/projects/earthquake-prone-buildings-mt-victoria-wellington/docs/bogarts-corner.pdf |title=Heritage assessment: buildings on the corner of Kent Terrace and Ellice Street, Wellington |date=September 2011 |publisher=New Zealand Transport Agency |access-date=24 May 2017 | first=Ian | last=Bowman}}
• Kilbirnie Wesleyan Church, Waitoa Road, Hataitai.{{cite web |url=http://www.heritagehelp.co.nz/methodist.html |title=Hataitai Methodist Church (originally Kilbirnie Wesleyan Church) |date=October 2014 |website=Heritage Help |access-date=24 May 2017 |first=P. |last=McKirdy}}
• Lampard Flats, 284–286 Cuba Street, Te Aro.
• Plumbers Building, 122–124 Wakefield Street, Te Aro.
• Rosco Tearooms, 2–6 Coleman Place, Palmerston North.{{cite web |url=http://www.pncc.govt.nz/news-events-and-culture/heritage-buildings/2-6-coleman-place-31-george-street-former-rosco-tearooms/ |title=2–6 Coleman Place & 31 George Street — former Rosco Tearooms |publisher=Palmerston North City Council |access-date=24 May 2017}}
• St Christopher's Church, 27 Ventnor Street, Seatoun.
• Ward Memorial Methodist Church and Hall, 69 Northland Road, Northland.
• Wellington Trades' Hall Building, 124–128 Vivian Street, Te Aro.

He also supervised the restoration of Antrim House in Wellington following a fire in 1940.{{cite web |url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/208 |title=Antrim House |publisher=Heritage New Zealand |access-date=24 May 2017}}

Fielding was admitted LRIBA in 1913, and elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1915. He served as chairman of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.{{cite web |url=http://www.heritagehelp.co.nz/locals.html |title=Local people |date=February 2012 |website=Heritage Help |access-date=24 May 2017 | first=P. | last=McKirdy}}

A member of the Hataitai Bowling Club, Fielding represented New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, and competed in the singles, pairs, and fours.{{cite web |url=https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/william-fielding |title=William Fielding |year=2016 |publisher=New Zealand Olympic Committee |access-date=24 May 2017}} He won the silver medal with his partner Peter McWhannell in the pairs event, and In the singles competition he won the bronze medal. The foursome of Fielding, McWhannell, Edward Leach, and Harold Frost finished fifth.{{cite news | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19301009.2.137 | title=Empire Games: keen bowling contest | date=9 October 1930 | work= Auckland Star | access-date=24 May 2017 | page=18}}

Fielding died on 26 July 1946, and his funeral was held at the Congregational Church in Cambridge Terrace, Wellington, which he had designed. He was buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington.{{cite web |url=http://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemeteries-search/details?id=69269&serviceType=Burial |title=Cemeteries search |date=12 July 2012 |publisher=Wellington City Council |access-date=24 May 2017}}

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{{1930 New Zealand British Empire Games team}}

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Category:1875 births

Category:1946 deaths

Category:People from Darwen

Category:English emigrants to New Zealand

Category:New Zealand architects

Category:New Zealand male bowls players

Category:Bowls players at the 1930 British Empire Games

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand

Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand

Category:Burials at Karori Cemetery

Category:Fellows of the New Zealand Institute of Architects

Category:Medallists at the 1930 British Empire Games

Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in lawn bowls

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in lawn bowls