Penty and Lawrence

Penty & Blake are said to have formed an architecture practice in order to enter the design competition for the original building at Victoria College in 1903. The winning entry was their landmark Collegiate Gothic building, now known as the Hunter Building at Victoria University.

Francis Penty (1841-1919) 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 Woollen Company Warehouse in Jervois Quay. He formed the partnership of Penty & Forde with Leonard Joseph Forde in 1893. Forde managed the Masterton branch of the practice and work included the design of the Masterton Town Hall along with about 50 houses and commercial premises. The partnership dissolved in 1898 when Forde left for Canada. His second partnership with Edward Blake was formed in 1903 and dissolved at the end of 1909.

Edward Blake (1865-1929) was born in Madras, India, the son of a missionary who four years later emigrated to New Zealand. Educated at Dunedin and Christchurch, he was articled to T. S. Lambert of Christchurch, and was architect for the Exhibition Building 1889 for which “efficient service” he was presented with a silver medal by Lambert. Shortly after completing his articles he worked in Sydney and Melbourne, winning two architectural competitions and carrying out other major works there. Returning to New Zealand in 1894, he was architect to the South Canterbury Education Board for three years, and also practised in Timaru. He joined the Public Works Department’s architectural office in Wellington in 1901. After six years in practice with Francis Penty, Blake established his own practice and was the architect for the Wellington Hospital Board.

Charles Alexander Lawrence (c.1873 – 1933) joined Penty & Blake in 1907 and became Penty’s partner when Blake left the practice in 1909. Lawrence trained in Scotland and arrived in New Zealand in 1895. He worked for Thomas Turnbull for about two years before joining the Public Works Department Architectural Branch. Penty & Lawrence remained in practice until Francis Penty died in 1919. Lawrence then joined Swan & Swan along with Andrew Hamilton who had worked as a draughtsman for Penty & Lawrence.

 

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