Alfred Wells (architect) explained

Alfred Wells (16 May 1859 – 8 December 1935) was an architect in South Australia.

Early life and education

Alfred was born at Marryatville, Adelaide, a son of Percy Wells and his wife Caroline (1831–1901). He was educated at Thomas Caterer's school in Norwood.^[1]

In 1871 the family returned to England aboard the Yatala, which was wrecked off the coast of France en route, but without loss of life. He undertook further schooling in Surrey, then studied architecture in London, returning to Adelaide in 1879.

Career

Wells soon found employment with the Engineer-in-Chief's Department under H. C. Mais. He worked for a time with Edmund Wright before returning to the Architect-in-Chief's Department under E. J. Woods, then with Ernest H. Bayer and Latham A. Withall.^[2]

In 1885 Bayer left the partnership and Wells took his place. Withall and Wells were in 1885 responsible for two of Adelaide's outstanding structures: the Adelaide Arcade and the Jubilee Exhibition Building (demolished c. 1965), both of which sported ornamental domes.

In 1888 Withall and his family left for Britain,^[3] never to return, and Wells ran the business alone, designing for the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now Women's and Children's Hospital) two structures which still stand: the heritage-listed Allan Campbell and the Angas Buildings.^{[4] [5]}

Other high-profile buildings for which he was responsible were:^[6]

• the original single-storey building for the Adelaide Electric Supply Company in 1901 on the corner of Grenfell Street and East Terrace (now Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute)
• Brookman Building(s) on Grenfell Street (now the site of the Grenfell Centre)
• Norwood Town Hall (still standing)
• Thebarton Town Hall, Thebarton (built from 1885, gutted by fire in 1948, with its rebuilding and restoration described as "thoroughly horrible" in 1999^[7])
• South Australian Hotel on North Terrace (where The Beatles stayed in 1964; demolished to make way for the Stamford Plaza Hotel in 1971^[8])

Later life and death

Wells retired in 1926, and died at Memorial Hospital, North Adelaide in 1935.^[9]

Other activities

He served as councillor for the City of St. Peters and, like his father, was a prominent Freemason.

Family

Wells married Gertrude E. Pollock (3 December 1860? – 8 January 1946) on 29 August 1883, living at "Rathmines" in Collinswood; they had two sons and two daughters:

• Alfred Cuthbert Wells (1884 – 30 December 1952) married Angelica Leslie Pooler (1888–) on 30 July 1910
• Geoffrey Erskine Wells (22 January 1891 – 6 October 1917) was, as Captain Wells of 2nd AIF, killed in action, Belgium.
• (Marjorie) Gertrude Wells (25 January 1888 –) married John Digby Yeatman MM (c. January 1890 –) on 25 September 1920. She at one time inherited a painting by Whistler,^[10] later purchased by the Art Gallery of South Australia^[11]
• Audrey Hall Wells (7 July 1897 – 24 October 1953) married Capt. Oscar William Chalker MC (27 July 1894 – 10 December 1953) on 20 September 1927, lived at Oak Lodge, Mount Lofty. He died of an injury to the back of his head, presumably accidental.

Further reading

• Web site: Alfred Wells. UniSA Architects Database.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alfred Wells. Sullivan, Christine. South Australian Architects Biography Project, University of South Australia. 31 May 2015.
2. Web site: Latham Augustus Withall. Willis, J.. South Australian Architects Biography Project, University of South Australia. 31 May 2015.
3. News: Orient Mail Passengers . . LIII . 13,067 . South Australia . 29 September 1888 . 18 January 2018 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
4. Web site: Allan Campbell Building, Adelaide Children's Hospital - 58 King William Road North Adelaide . Heritage Places of Adelaide. Adelaide Economic Development Agency . 16 September 2019 . 25 April 2023.
5. Web site: Angas Building, Adelaide Children's Hospital - 70 King William Road North Adelaide . Heritage Places of Adelaide. Adelaide Economic Development Agency. 16 September 2019 . 25 April 2023.
6. Web site: Architects of South Australia . Architect Details: Alfred Wells. . 23 April 2023.
7. https://www.libraries.sa.gov.au/client/en_AU/westtorrens/index.assetboxmobile.assetactionicon.view/1424227?rm=West+Torrens+H1%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7Ctrue&dt=list Thebarton historic walk - 1999
8. Web site: Ntafillis . Viki . Thebarton Police Barracks to join list of Adelaide architectural wonders that have disappeared . . 24 February 2023 . 22 April 2023.
9. News: Designed Many Big Buildings . . Adelaide . 9 December 1935 . 31 May 2015 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
10. Nocturne: the river at Battersea is held by the SA Art Gallery
11. News: Clare News at Victor Harbor . . Clare, SA . 29 October 1943 . 31 May 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.