Francis Penty

Francis Penty was born in Yorkshire. He was educated in York where he studied architecture, prior to becoming a pupil of J E Oates. On completing his articles he worked in Liverpool and Manchester before joining the Royal Engineers where he was engaged in the construction of new barracks. He later worked for the architectural branch of the London and North West Railway.

In 1887 Penty came to New Zealand, establishing a practice in Wellington. In his first ten years he designed no less than 150 private homes. Amongst his early works were the Convalescent Home, Oriental Bay; a warehouse for Townsend and Paul, Victoria Street; and the Wellington Wollen Company Warehouse in Jervois Quay. Penty also spent times as a Wellington City Councillor from 1892 - 95, where he was known for his belief in practicality before politics. He formed a partnership with Leonard Joseph Forde as Penty & Forde from 1893 to 1898, a partnership with E. M. Blake as Penty & Blake from 1903 to 1909, and a partnership with Charles Alexander Lawrence as Penty & Lawrence from 1909 to 1919.

Image: "MR FRANCIS PENTY, A well-known Wellington architect, who died the other day, aged 77." —Bartlett and Andrew, Photo. Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 985, 21 May 1919

Sources:

NZHPT Glossary
 
Mew, Geoff & Adrian Humphris. “Raupo to Deco: Wellington Styles and Architects 1840 – 1940” (Wellington: Steel Roberts Aotearoa, 2014) 

“The Hunter Building, Victoria University of Wellington”, WRC, NZHPT, February 1979.

WCC Heritage Inventory 2001