James Henry

1853

James Reed worked as an architect in South Australia alongside Edmund Wright and Isadore Beaver with their partnerships designing several significant buildings in the late nineteenth century.

James Henry Reed was born c.1853 in Plymouth, England where he served his articles under a local architect. He arrived in South Australia in 1876. James Reed was married Bertha Marie Armbruster on 24 August 1882 at the Unitarian Christian Church, Adelaide (‘Family Notices’ 1882, p.2). They lived at Hawkers Road, Medindie and had five children. Harry (born 11 June 1883), Arthur (born 21 August 1884), Gilbert (born 19 November 1886), Dorothy (born 14 December 1888) and Beatrice (born 7 February 1892). They lived at Hawkers Road, Medindie and later moved to Rundle Street, Kent Town. James Reed died unexpectedly on 9 July 1901.

Having already served his articles in England, Reed gained employment in the office of Edmund Wright as a draughtsman soon after he arrived in Adelaide in 1876. He was taken into partnership by Edmund Wright in 1879, with offices in Imperial Chambers, King William Street, Adelaide. They were joined subsequently in 1886 by Isadore Beaver, and renamed the practice Wright, Reed, and Beaver, with offices located in the Queen’s Chambers on Pirie Street, Adelaide (‘Advertising’ 1886: 1). The firm was well known as ‘having led in the van of the architectural profession in this State’ (The late Mr J.H. Reed 1901, p.4). Others employed in the office included Henry E. Fuller who had been articled to Beaver during the 1880s (‘Pen Portraits’ 1927: 8), and the artist Frank H. Bartels also an articled pupil (South Australian Chronicle 1895: 12). During this period Reed travelled to Sydney to expand the firm. Following the death of Edmund Wright in 1888 the firm continued to operate under the same name until 1892, after which it was known as Reed and Beaver. On 9 August 1893, Wright, Reed and Beaver was dissolved (Advertiser 1893: 4). Beaver continued his architectural career as a sole practitioner in Melbourne while Reed continued to practise in Adelaide on his own account.

James H. Reed was at the first meeting of the South Australian Institute of Architects and an inaugural member of the SAIA (along with Isadore G. Beaver, Edmund W Wright, Edward Woods, Ernest Bayer, Edward Davies, Daniel Garlick, Arthur Garlick, Frederick Dancker, George K. Soward, Charles Marryatt, Alfred Barnham Black, H. Hughes, David Williams, Frank Naish, Henry C. Richardson and Gustav Joachimi). At a meeting in 1892 Reed delivered an evening lecture to members on ‘Architecture in South Australia.’ In it he covered, ‘public, municipal, and other buildings. With reference to residences, the lecturer then touched on the question of the style most suited to the climate, and suggested that a judicious blend of the Italian with the English domestic would be found to give most general satisfaction if combined with spacious verandahs and balconies.’ At the lecture exhibited ‘a number of plans of houses designed by his firm (Messrs. Wright, Reed, & Beaver), and also others by Mr. Woods, Mr. Davies, Mr. Bayer, Messrs. Withall & Wells. Mr. Naish, Mr. Black, Mr. Garlick, and others … to prove that the architects had not, as suggested, been indifferent to the question of orientation, the treatment and position of entrances, internal halls, and in fact all the demands made upon them in connection with the planning of the different apartments and adjuncts of properly arranged residences. Mr Reed mentioned that in the present day, with the facilities for the dissemination of literature and the quick delivery of mails, it was possible to keep oneself up to date as to what was being done elsewhere. He hoped he had been able to show that the Sooth Australian architecture had kept in touch with the latest architectural developments in the great art centres, and that there was absolutely nothing to justify the belief that they are at all behind the age’ (‘South Australian Architecture’ 1892, p.6).

The architectural works undertaken by James Reed were carried out both within the partnerships with Wright and with Beaver and later in his own name. His obituary noted, ‘Mr. Reed's special talent lay in his powers as a draughtsman. He designed the buildings of the Union Bank, the Bank of Adelaide, the Old Exchange in Pirie-street, and many other of the ornamental structures in our principal thorough fares. He also superintended the construction of the Bank of Australasia and the Bank of New South Wales (‘The Late Mr. J. H. Reed,’ 1901, p.4).

One of the earliest works under the name of Wright and Reed was the design for the Queen’s Exchange or Exchange Building in the eastern corner of Pirie Street and Exchange Place, Adelaide which opened in 1880. ‘The large stone entrance porch was protected by iron gates. A sculpture of Britannia, with shield and trident … stood high above the entrance’ (Elton, History Trust of South Australia). It was demolished in the 1980s. In 1882 the practice designed a grandstand for Adelaide Oval for the South Australian Cricketing Association (‘Design for Grand Stand,’ 1882, p.19). They were also engaged to design bathing facilities for Semaphore and plans for a P. & O. Hotel in 1882 (‘Bathing at Semaphore,’ 1882, p.5).

The Wright and Reed partnership undertook work at Port Adelaide, designing Messrs. Stilling & Co.’s wool and grain warehouses in 1882 on Santo Parade. A detailed description in the newspaper gives a hint of its grandeur noting, ‘the front of the building is peculiarly effective, and is in the Italian style of architecture. The base and first story are in cut stone, having a large dray entrance in the centre, through which a line of rails is laid to the back of the building, connected with the Railway rails at the Dock face; and entrances on each side to private offices and bonded store, with windows to match on each side, worked in bold rustics. The two stories above this are provided with three sets of triplet windows on each side of the centre doors, which gives the front a very light and elegant effect, the whole being surmounted by a bold Italian cantilever cornice and parapet on each side and raised pediment, supported on ornamental brackets, bearing the name of the firm in the centre’. While admittedly the description was supplied by the architects, it concludes that ‘The buildings are equalled by none in the colony and must ever be an ornament to Port Adelaide’ (‘Messrs. Stilling & Co.’s Wool and Grain Warehouses at Port Adelaide,’ 1883, p.34). It is now on the State Heritage Register.

Wright and Reed were commissioned by Messrs. A.W. & T.L. Ware to erect a new brewery near the Hindmarsh Bridge at Southwark which would be constructed in 1886. The brewery was constructed of ‘brick on a basement of stone. The main floor is 50 feet by 24 feet, and the tower, which is six stories in height, 20 feet by 20 feet, with a loading and discharging platform 20 feet by 10 feet in the front. There is cellarage underneath the whole of this area’ (‘A New Brewery,’ 1886, p. 2; ‘The Torrenside Brewery,’ 1886, p.7).

Wright and Reed initially collaborated with Isidore Beaver to enter the architectural competition for the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition building. Their entry gained second prize. The brick and cement rendered design was described in the newspapers of the time as ‘Renaissance in character, with projecting centre and wings, the centre having a capacious portico with balcony over and finished with an octagonal dome, the wings being finished with “Mansard roofs”’ (‘The Jubilee Exhibition’ 1886, p.6). However, when the contract for the design was given Withall and Wells’ previously disqualified entry, Wright and Reed, and Beaver, along with many other Adelaide architects who had entered the competition were outraged (Collins 2016).

The partnership of Wright, Reed and Beaver produced Cabra Dominican Convent in Cumberland Park (1886), the Federal Building Society and Savings Institute, King William Street, Adelaide (1887), and the Bank of New South Wales, on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace, Adelaide (1888). For St Mary's Dominican Convent at Goodwood South (now known as Cabra Dominican Convent on Cross Road in Cumberland Park) Wright and Reed undertook works on a convent in 1885 including the main building wings planned around a quadrangle with the convent chapel on the fourth side. Interestingly, a site tour was held for ‘members of the Architectural Students’ Association, accompanied by the architects of the building, Messrs. Wright and Reed, and several other gentlemen.’ Constructed using Tapleys Hill stone, with brick and cement dressings, inside the floors were of kauri pine. The convent was deigned for fifty nuns and for the boarding and day schools taught by them (‘St Mary's Dominican Convent,’ 1885, p.3).

In 1887, Wright, Reed and Beaver were engaged to convert an existing warehouse into the Royal Exchange building in King William Street, Adelaide for John Robb. Wright, Reed and Beaver kept the structure of the large three-storeyed building with Classical ornamentation which was formerly the D. and W. Murray building, renovating it and adding a new brick portion to the rear. The building housed offices, a public hall, the exchange room and meeting room. It also included two elevators and telephone and telegraph connections. The prominent verandah spanned the Mintaro slate footpath, and was carried on Fulton’s cast iron columns (‘The Royal Exchange’ 1888, p.3; ‘The Register Summary For England,’ 1888, p.4). It opened on 29 June 1888, ‘with great celebration to provide a new home to Adelaide’s five stock exchanges’ (Gibbs 1988, p.65) with the Stock Exchange of Adelaide located in rooms on the ground floor.

Wright, Reed and Beaver were engaged on internal alterations to buildings as well including alterations to the building which was formerly premises of the Australian Mutual Provident Society which they remodelled for the Federal Bank of Australasia and the Federal Building Society and Savings Institute, on King William Street, Adelaide in 1887 (‘City Improvements,’ 1887, p.3).

In 1889 the National Mutual Life Association held a competition for a new building to stand on Collins Street, Melbourne. Of the forty-three entries received, Wright, Reed and Beaver’s was selected as the winner. In his obituary it was noted that ‘Mr. Reed and his partner succeeded in winning the competition for designs for the National Mutual Life Buildings, a fine block of buildings, seven storys in height, situated at the corner of Collins-street and Queen-street, Melbourne. Mr. Beaver went to Melbourne to supervise the construction of that immense structure, and remained there’ (‘The Late Mr. J. H. Reed,’ 1901, p.4). Their Gothic Revival design still stands and is State Heritage listed in Victoria. It is eight storeys in height and constructed of freestone with a brick and concrete structure. Internally it is highly ornamented with rich plaster mouldings and timber decoration (Heritage Victoria 2014: 2). Beaver stayed in Melbourne following the completion of the National Mutual Life Association building, which opened ‘just before the financial crash of 1893’ (Heritage Victoria 2014: 2).

In 1889, Reed was listed as the City Architect in an article in the Evening Journal (‘Latest News,’ Evening Journal 25 May 1889, p. 4). Practising on his own, Reed undertook smaller works including alterations to the Theatre Royal Saloons to provide lounges and bars within the entertainment complex (‘Improvements at the Theatre Royal Saloons,’ 1894, p.7). In 1896, Reed designed a new bakery for Messrs. Kindermann in Rundle Street comprising a bakehouse, storeroom and confectioners workroom on the ground floor while the upper floor was devoted to the manufacture of wedding cakes (‘An up-to-date café,’ Express and Telegraph, 7 November 1896, p.7).

James Reed died unexpededly on 9 July 1901. Following his death, he was described as ‘one of the leading architects of Adelaide, and many stately edifices remain as a monument of his professional skill’ (‘The Late Mr. J. H. Reed,’ 1901, p.4).

South Australian Heritage Council