Alexander Brown Wilson (5 June 1857, in Glasgow, Scotland – 5 May 1938, in
Kangaroo Point,
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia) was an architect in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia. A number of his works are listed on the
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As ...
.
Life
Alexander Wilson was the fourth son of George Wilson, a silk merchant, and Margaret Watson. The family lived at 168 St. Georges Road, Glasgow in 1861.
They migrated to the Colony of Queensland (Australia), arriving in July 1864 aboard the ''
Lady Bowen''. He began attending the Normal School.
Wilson began work with the Department of Public Works in 1875 and joined the architect F D G Stanley as principal draughtsman in 1882. From 1878, as a draughtsman to Colonel
Peter H. Scratchley, Commissioner of Defences for the Australian colonies, Wilson prepared drawings for the
Lytton Battery, of which Stanley was architect. Wilson won a competition for the design of the western façade of St Stephens Cathedral, Sydney and then travelled to Britain where he was admitted as an associate of the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
. Back in Brisbane in 1884 he established his own practice. Wilson was successful in several competitions for ecclesiastical commissions, including the Wesleyan Church in
West End (1884-85) and a belfry for
St Stephen's Cathedral (1887).
Wilson married Ellen Martin, daughter of auctioneer and agent, Thomas Martin, on 3 September 1885 at Brisbane, Queensland. They had three sons and a daughter.
In the 1920s, Alexander Wilson was in partnership with his architect son
Ronald Martin Wilson, who would later be in partnership with his architect son
Blair
Blair is a Scots-English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin.
The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or " field", frequently ...
, who would in turn partner with his son
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
, an architectural practice spanning 130 years (as of 2014, known as
Wilson Architects).
Works
His works include:
* Wesleyan Methodist Church, West End (1884)
*
Plough Inn (1885)
*
Mowbraytown Presbyterian Church (1885)
*
Kinauld at
Highgate Hill (1888)
*
Leckhampton
Leckhampton is a village and a district in south Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The area is in the civil parish of Leckhampton with Warden Hill and is part of the district of Cheltenham. The population of the civil parish taken at the Un ...
at
Kangaroo Point (1889)
*
Como
Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...
(later Barrogill) at
Yeronga (1889)
*
Ann Street Presbyterian Church (alterations and extensions) (1897)
*
Lamb House (also known as Home) at
Kangaroo Point (1902)
See also
*
:Alexander Brown Wilson buildings
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Alexander Brown
Architects from Brisbane
1857 births
1938 deaths
Associates of the Royal Institute of British Architects