Samuel Hurst Seager

Samuel Hurst Seager was a prominent Christchurch builder, draftsman, architect and town planner. He was born in London in 1855 and moved to New Zealand with his parents in 1870. His father was a Christchurch building contractor and Seager continued the firm of S.H. Seager after his father's death in 1874.

Seager returned to London and studied architecture at University College between 1882 and 1883. He returned to Christchurch in 1885 when his competition winning design for the municipal buildings established Seager as one of Christchurch's leading architects. He later became the official architect of New Zealand battlefield memorials and spent much of his time abroad between 1920 and 1925. His overseas memorials include Longueval and Le Quesnoy in France, Messines in Belgium and Chunuk Bair in Gallipoli.

Sources:

Ian J. Lochhead. 'Seager, Samuel Hurst', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/3s8/seager-samuel-hurst (accessed 8 May 2017)

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