Robert Roy Macgregor

Rob Roy MacGregor was born in Dunedin and trained as an architect with Robert Arthur Lawson. He moved to Wellington by 1893 to start an architecture practice, and entered design competitions for the Ballance memorial in parliament grounds, and the Pahiatua and Palmerston North courthouses. His competition designs had mixed results. Although his memorial to Premier John Balance was the winning entry, members of parliament instead chose a statue by W.J. Helyer set on a plinth designed by MacGregor. His courthouse designs were placed second to Wellington architect George Stevenson, but MacGregor eventually oversaw the construction of the Pahiatua Courthouse and Post Office in 1894.

A short-term partnership with James Hector McKay in February 1898 resulted in the design of the fine St James’ Presbyterian Church (1900) on Adelaide Road in Newtown. McKay & McGregor dissolved “by mutual consent” in December 1900, and James Hector McKay went on to found Crighton and McKay, a prominent and longstanding Wellington architectural practice.

Rob Roy Macgregor remained in business in Wellington until at least 1904 when he designed the L.T Watkins Building on the corner of Cuba and Vivian Streets. He also designed a row of four near-identical Tinakori Road houses for Thomas Joseph McCarthy in 1903. 

 

Sources:

“Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]” (Wellington: The Cyclopedia Company Ltd, 1897)

“Evening Post”, 23 May 189; 19 February 1898; 31 December 1900

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

THE BALLANCE MEMORIAL UNVEILING OF THE STATUE IN PARLIAMENTARY GROUNDS. Evening Post, 7 April 1897

THE BALLANCE MEMORIAL. Press, 10 March 1894