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Basic Biographic Details
Name:
Alexander Davidson
Designation :
Architect
Date of Birth:
Exact Date
Exact DOB:
17/05/1839
Year of Birth :
Circa Year of Birth :
Date of Birth Before (Year):
Date of Birth After (Year):
DOB (1st 'Or' Year):
DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):
Date of Death:
Exact Date
Exact DOD:
01/02/1908
Year of Death:
Circa Year of Death:
Date of Death Before (Year):
Date of Death After (Year):
DOD (1st 'Or' Year):
DOD (2nd 'Or' Year):
Town of Birth :
Bio Notes :
Alexander Davidson was born 17 May 1839, the son of Samuel Davidson of 9 Rose Street, Edinburgh and later of 6 William Street, Edinburgh and of Mary Kennedy. An RSA student, he was recommended to the Trustees' Academy by Walter Carmichael. He entered on 23 June 1856 and left on 30 June in the same year. He was articled to John Henderson in whose office he met and befriended the young George Henderson, also an articled clerk. After Henderson's early death in 1862, Davidson was persuaded by Rev John Cooper, related by marriage to the Davidson family, then on a visit to Edinburgh in mid-1864, to emigrate to Australia to undertake work there for Cooper's congregation. Davidson, accompanied by his young cousin and future wife, Eugenia Cooper Davidson, departed for Australia in the autumn of the same year. (They were married the following year). Within a few months he designed a church for Cooper's Presbyterian congregation at Rokewood in Victoria. After a dispute with his congregation over the payment of his stipend, Cooper left Rokewood, though Davidson remained there, gaining the patronage of local families, in particular Scottish émigrés.
In May 1867 George Henderson arrived in Australia, presumably persuaded by his friend Davidson and by the promise of colonial work. At first he acted as an unpaid associate to Davidson, though before long both Henderson and Davidson were able to send money home to assist their respective families, a number of large commissions coming their way in late 1868 and in early 1869 and the practice moved to Geelong in Victoria. A partnership was formalised in late 1869, with Davidson receiving 2/3 of the profit and the younger partner 1/3. In early 1870 the partners won the important commission of Geelong College in Newtown and in line with stylistic developments in Britain used for the first time 'constructional polychromy'. A venture in the field of speculative building in Geelong was however not a success and a series of unfortunate episodes of losing jobs to other architects and disputes with contractors (relating to a clause written by the practice in their terms of agreement about their right to be the sole judge of quality without arbitration) caused them financial difficulties. Moreover in the early 1870s there was a short depression in the wool industry and some sources of work temporarily dried up.
The first partnership ended in December 1873 and although a new one was formalised in July 1874 with Davidson now receiving 5/9 of the profits, by this time Henderson who had lived with Davidson and his wife since his arrival in Australia found this arrangement a strain. Moreover he was becoming disillusioned with the work. Henderson largely fulfilled the role of office manager and was responsible for the costing of the jobs. It is unclear how much hand he had in design work. Only occasionally did he make site visits. In December 1875 he received an offer of work from William Hay in Edinburgh and the Davidson/Henderson partnership was terminated on less than friendly terms in April 1876, Henderson sailing home later that year.
In the later 1870s Davidson, now trading under the name Alexander Davidson & Co, ran into personal and financial difficulties. Two of his children died of diptheria and he created ill feeling in Geelong when standing for election to the Town Council in Geelong by denouncing another candidate, a rival local architect. After a short-lived association with the Melbourne architect E G Ovey, formed for the construction of a hotel in Collins Street in East Melbourne he announced that he intended to conduct offices at Temple Court in Melbourne as well as at Malop Street in Geelong. A short-lived partnership with George Raymond Johnson in 1881 in the venture to reconstruct the Geelong Exhibition Building was disastrous when he failed to win the contract. A major commission for the Colac Shire Hall commission was postponed. In July 1882 he closed the Geelonmg office and left finally for Melbourne. Between June 1885 and March 1887 he held the appointment of Architect for the Melbourne Tramway Trust. He remained in Melbourne until his death from an asthma attack on 2 January 1908. In his later years he reverted to using the Jacobean style he had used as an apprentice in John Henderson's office though he always retained a passion for Medieval sources and in particular those illustrated by Viollet-le-Duc.
Bio Notes continued...
Additional Notes
Addresses
The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:
Private Addresses
Private Addresses2 classic
Address
Class
Date From Char
Date From Type
Date To Char
Date To Type
Notes
Brunswick Melbourne Australia
Private
11 Madden Grove, Albert Park Albert Park Melbourne Australia
Private
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Business Addresses
Business Addresses2 classic
Address
Class
Date From
Date From Type
Date To
Date To Type
Notes
Rokewood Victoria Australia
Business
Geelong Victoria Australia
Business
Hope Street West Geelong Victoria Australia
Business
62 Collins Street East Melbourne Australia
Business
O'Connor's Chambers/100 Elizabeth Street Melbourne Australia
Business
117 Elizabeth Street Melbourne Australia
Business
75 Chancery Lane Melbourne Australia
Business
84 Powlett Street Melbourne Australia
Business
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Employment and Training
The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):
Employers2 classic
Name
Name Link
Date From
Date To
Position
Notes
Alexander Davidson & Co
201158
In year 1877
In year 1908
Partner
Davidson & Henderson
201150
Late 1869s
1876/04
Partner
John Henderson
201110
Apprentice
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Employees or Pupils
The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):
Employees or Pupils2 classic
Name
Name Link
Date From
Date To
Position
Notes
J Hill Kays
205717
After 1884
Before 1886
Assistant
George Henderson
201140
In year 1867
Late 1869s
Assistant
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Buildings and Designs
This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
Buildings and Designs2 classic
Building Name
Date Started
Town, District or Village
Island
City or County
Country
Notes
Rokewood Presbyterian Church
In year 1865
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Rokewood Episcopalian Church
In year 1865
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Kurac-a-Ruc Homestead
In year 1865
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Additions
House, Gala
In year 1866
Lismore
Victoria
Australia
Wurrock
In year 1867
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Residence, Barunah Plains Station
In year 1867
Inverleigh
Victoria
Australia
Wesleyan Church
In year 1867
Mortlake
Victoria
Australia
Kuruc-a-Ruc, Overseer's House
In year 1868
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Common School, Ondit
In year 1868
Ondit
Victoria
Australia
Mechanics Institute
In year 1868
Rokewood
Victoria
Australia
Residence, Watch Hill
In year 1868
Colac
Victoria
Australia
Victoria Woollen and Cloth Manfacturing Co
In year 1869
Geelong
Victoria
Australia
Barwon Park
In year 1869
Winchelsea
Victoria
Australia
National Insurance Company Building
In year 1869
Geelong
Victoria
Australia
Homestead Eilyer
In year 1869
Lake Bolac
Victoria
Australia
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References
Bibliographic References
The following books contain references to this person:
Bib ref classic
Author
Title
Date
Publisher
Part
Notes
Willingham, Allan
Two Scots in Victoria: the architecture of Davidson and Henderson
1983
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Periodical References
The following periodicals contain references to this person:
Period ref classic
Periodical Name
Publisher
Date Circ
Edition
Notes
Argus
1865/11/25
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Archive References
The following archives hold material relating to this person:
Arc ref classic
Archive Name
Source
Source Cat No
Building Id
Item Name
Notes
Information sent to Dictionary
Courtesy of Mark Turnbull, Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners, Sydney
201154
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