George Gray Prentice Explained

George Gray Prentice (25 July 1891  - July 1944) was an architect practising in Brisbane, Australia, during the first half of the twentieth century and was involved in the design and construction of numerous major buildings in South East Queensland including the Queensland Heritage Register listed Brisbane City Hall.

Life

G. G. Prentice was born on 25 July 1891 in Tank Street, Brisbane, Queensland and was the son of George Prentice, first mayor of Sandgate and director of the Brisbane Permanent Building and Banking Company, and his second wife Jean Elizabeth, née Gray, daughter of a pioneering boot retailer Messrs. T. and W. Gray's in George Street, Brisbane. George's half-sister, Jessie Blanche (aged 18), and paternal grandfather, George Prentice (aged 70), died the year before his birth when the was wrecked on the Far North Queensland coast in 1890.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

He attended the Normal School in Brisbane, and was an employee in the artist's department of Watson, Ferguson and Company, established in 1868 and Queensland's longest operating printing company.^[9] On 24 November 1915 he married Ethel Driver at St Nicholas's Church, Sandgate.^[10] They had one son, Dr Peter George Driver, who served with the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II and was the father of Ian Prentice.^{[11] [12]}

George Gray Prentice was articled to the architect Thomas Ramsay Hall and, in the early 1900s, the two men entered into partnership and established the firm Hall and Prentice. In 1931 George Gray Prentice entered into partnership with William 'Bill' Atkinson, son of the architect H. W. Atkinson, to form Atkinson Prentice.^[13] In 1939, George Grey Prentice filed for bankruptcy due to a combination of ill health, unprofitable investments and the impact of the Depression on his business.^[14] In the years immediately prior to his death, he worked for the Department of the Interior.^[15]

Throughout his career, George Gray Prentice was involved with a number of significant buildings in Queensland including the Brisbane City Hall, Mater Misericordiae Public Children's Hospital, Nudgee College, All Hallows' Chapel, Our Lady of Victories Memorial Church, Truth Building, Ascot Chambers and the Sandgate Cenotaph.^{[16] [17] [18]}

He was a life trustee and president of the Royal Queensland Art Society^[19] and a member of Tattersalls Club, Royal Queensland Golf Club, Brisbane Golf Club, Sandgate Golf Club, Sandgate Sailing Club and the Gordon Club.^[20]

George Gray Prentice died at the age of 53 in July 1944.^[21]

Notes and References

1. News: Mr George Prentice . . LIII . 1,366 . Brisbane. 28 February 1902 . 27 November 2016 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: Obituary . . Queensland, Australia . 12 June 1930 . 27 November 2016 . 54 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: The Quetta Inquiry . . XLVI . 10,076 . 1 May 1890 . 27 November 2016 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Pioneer Passes . . 778 . Brisbane . 26 February 1936 . 27 November 2016 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: Family Notices . . XLVIII . 10,465 . 30 July 1891 . 27 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Family Notices . . 5,429 . Brisbane . 8 March 1890 . 27 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: Family Notices . . XLIV . 9,408 . 10 March 1888 . 27 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Family Notices . . XLV . 9,731 . 23 March 1889 . 27 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
9. Web site: Who We Are. Watson, Ferguson and Company. 27 November 2016.
10. News: Family Notices . . 18,083 . 31 December 1915 . 27 November 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: Obituary . . 2314 . Brisbane . 30 July 1944 . 27 November 2016 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: Family Notices . . 3070 . Brisbane . 9 July 1943 . 27 November 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: Architects' Partnership . . 18,248 . Brisbane . 2 June 1931 . 27 November 2016 . 6 (Final) . National Library of Australia.
14. News: Architect Tells of Debts Leading To Bankruptcy . . Brisbane . 20 April 1939 . 27 November 2016 . 11. City Final Last Minute News . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Death of City Hall Designer . . Brisbane . 27 July 1944 . 27 November 2016 . 2. City Final Minute News . National Library of Australia.
16. News: untitled . . 22,864 . 11 May 1931 . 27 November 2016 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
17. News: Obituary . . 2314 . Queensland, Australia . 30 July 1944 . 27 November 2016 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
18. News: Cenotaph Unveiled . . 15987 . Brisbane . 25 February 1924 . 27 November 2016 . 4. Second . National Library of Australia.
19. News: President's Wife . . Brisbane . 7 October 1936 . 27 November 2016 . 18. City Final Last Minute News . National Library of Australia.
20. News: Obituary . . 2314 . Brisbane . 30 July 1944 . 27 November 2016 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
21. News: Death of City Hall Designer . . Brisbane . 27 July 1944 . 27 November 2016 . 2. City Final Last Minute News . National Library of Australia.