Basic Biographical Details

Name: Andrew Petrie
Designation:  
Born: 1798
Died: 20 February 1872
Bio Notes: Andrew Petrie was born at Kettle, Fife in 1798, the son of Walter Petrie, weaver, and his wife Margaret Hutchison. Around 1813 he was articled to 'a prominent architect builder called Lang', probably Alexander Laing. In 1821 he married Mary Cuthbertson and commenced business on his own account in Edinburgh. In 1831 he was invited to New South Wales along with other Scottish 'mechanics' to erect Dr John Dunmore Lang's Australian College in Jamieson Street, Sydney. After a period in partnership with George Ferguson, a fellow emigrant, Petrie was appointed first a foreman of works on the Goat Island Magazine and then superintendent of works on the convict stockade there. He was dismissed for humanitarian views in 1835 but following appointment as a foreman of works with the Royal Engineers Establishment in May 1836, he again became a superintendent of works initially at Moreton Bay, and then at Brisbane, where he built a house and workshops at Petrie Bight; there he established a major contracting firm which was responsible for the construction of most of the government buildings in Brisbane and provided architectural services as required.

Petrie was blinded by sandy blight on a visit to Darling Downs in 1848, the supervision of the business thereafter becoming mainly the responsibility of his son John, who had been born in Edinburgh in 1822.

Andrew Petrie died of 'debility' in Brisbane on 20 February 1872.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 5Kettle, Fife, ScotlandPrivate1798Before 1813 
Item 2 of 5Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business18131831 
Item 3 of 5Sydney, AustraliaBusiness1831Before 1835 
Item 4 of 5Moreton Bay, Queensland, AustraliaBusinessMay 1836c. 1838 
Item 5 of 5Wharf Street and Queen Street, Petrie Bight, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaBusinessc. 1838  

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Alexander Laingc. 1813Before 1821ApprenticePetrie was articled to 'a prominent architect builder called Lang', probably Alexander Lang
Item 2 of 2Petrie & Ferguson (or Ferguson & Petrie)After 1831Before 1835Partner 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Dornan, Dimitry and Cryle, Denis1993The Petrie Family: Building Colonial Brisbane Brisbane 
Item 2 of 2Watson, Donald and McKay, Judith1994Queensland Architects of the 19th Century Brisbane: Queensland Museum 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Brisbane Courier21 February 1872  Obituary