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Conrad and Gargett Architecture

Conrad and Gargett Architecture is a longstanding Queensland architecture firm. Established originally by Arnold Henry Conrad and Thomas Brenan Fermister Gargett in 1939. The firm was established after the death of previous partner Henry Wallace Atkinson, and the retirement of Charles McLay. The firm is still practicing today, established in the Brisbane CBD with offices in Townsville, Queensland and Sydney, New South Wales.

Early Years
Henry Wallace Atkinson (1866-1938) was born and educated in Brisbane. He was a foundation scholar of the Brisbane Technical College in 1883. He was appointed junior draftsman in the Queensland Public works Department in March 1882, and promoted to draftsman in 1884. In 1890 he became a foreman of works. Henry Atkinson began his design career in 1989, as the Brisbane Fire Brigade board held a competition to design a new head fire station on the corner of Ann and Edward Streets. Atkinson won the competition using the pseudonym “Ready Aye Ready”, the motto of the Fire Brigade and was appointed architect for the design After winning the competition, Atkinson resigned from the Colonial Architects office and set up a private practice in Central Chambers, Queen Street on February 24th 1890.

Charles McLay (1860-1918) was born near Stirling, Scotland. Soon after immigrating to Australia, McLay was employed as a draftsman in the Colonial Architect’s Office. In July 1889 McLay was appointed to the newly-created position of Chief Draftsman. McLay’s design for the new Brisbane Customs House was selected from many proposals in March 1886, and construction had commenced by May of the same year. The years following saw his design for the Bundaberg Post Office realized in 1886 and revised in 1887-89, while proposals for the Fortitude Valley Post Office and Post Office at Rockhampton remained unbuilt. In 1889 McLay took leave to complete a proposal for a Queensland Government project for a new museum on the corner of Creek Street and Wickham Terrace. McLay won the competition and resigned from his government post in August 1890 to oversee construction of the building in accordance with competition conditions. The building was relocated to the corner of Albert Street and Wickham Terrace in 1891. Construction was halted in the years that followed and McLay then sought reinstatement in the Public Works Department. The museum project was finally abandoned after the former Exhibition Building at Bowen Part was converted for that purpose in 1900. In April 1897, McLay was appointed Queensland’s Chief Inspector of Factories and Shops to align with new legislation to protect the working conditions of employees. McLay eventually took leave in 1900 to tour Great Britain and Europe. On the first of July 1906 he was appointed to Director of Labour but resigned on the 31st of January 1907. In 1907, McLay became Atkinson’s first partner in the firm, having already designed the Queen Street Customs house. The firm designed both residential and commercial work during this time, including Fitzroy Chambers, later Commerce House, where they relocated their offices In 1912 the premises were almost completely destroyed by fire and were rebuilt. Atkinson and McLay continued to practice in Fitzroy Chambers until 1956 when the firm moved to Spring Hill.

Arnold Henry Conrad was born in 1887 in Melbourne and attended the Working Men’s College. He worked with Edwin J. Ruck upon qualifying until 1911, when he moved to Queensland where he entered the Department of Public Works as a temporary draftsman. In 1912 Conrad joined the firm H.W. Atkinson & C. McLay. Conrad had exceptional results from his architectural training at what is now the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, achieving 100% in every subject for 4 years. Conrad was in charge of classes in Architecture and Building Construction at the Brisbane Central Technical College, commencing his post in 1912. In 1917 Conrad shifted to Warwick to establish his own practice. His first commission was ordered by the Presbyterian Church to design secondary schools. Conrad was credited with introducing the Spanish Mission style into Brisbane architecture.

Thomas Brenan Fermister Gargett (1898-1975) was born and educated in Brisbane. While still at school, Gargett applied for the position of apprentice with the local architects H.W. Atkinson & C. McLay. He began work within the firm on the 22nd July 1914 at their Adelaide Street practice. Gargett was a student member of the Queensland Institute of Architects in 1917 and went on to win the students prize in 1919. He was employed as a draftsman and was among one of the first students to gain a diploma of architecture from the Brisbane Central Technical College in 1923.

Beginning of Conrad and Gargett
As the war ended, Charles McLay passed away, prompting Arnold Conrad to rejoin the firm to become Atkinson’s new partner. The pair worked together as Atkinson and Conrad from 1918 until 1939. After the war, business increased with more projects such as schools, hospitals, churches, commercial premises. The most influential building of this period was Brisbane’s first multi-storey apartment building, Craigston and Wickham Terrace. Craigston was characteristic of the Spanish mission style. This building epitomised Conrad's influence in the firm, as he was the most influential architect to bring the Spanish Mission style into Queensland Architecture. In 1923 Brenan Gargett completed his architectural training at Brisbane’s Central Technical College, being one of four students to receive their diploma. Garget became a full partner after Henry Atkinson retired 1939. The partners formed A.H. Conrad and T.B.F. Gargett (1939-65). The partners left their mark on Queensland architecture producing many commercial and residential works. After Conrad’s heart attack in 1952, Gargett was briefly left to manage the firm single-handed. The firm specialised in educational buildings, designing many buildings for the Anglican Church Grammar School and Sommerville House, both in Brisbane. Hospital projects increased as the firm designed for the Brisbane General Hospital (Now Royal Brisbane Hospital), Princess Alexandra Hospital and Prince Charles Hospital, with works spanning over a number of decades. Two of the most influential commercial buildings were sited in the Brisbane CBD. These were the S.G.I.O. Building and the Commonwealth Bank Building. Each of these projects utilised the site and designed in accordance with the Queensland climate.

Recent Years
The partners worked together until Conrad’s retirement in 1974. Gargett died while still an active director in 1975. William A.H. (‘Bill’) Conrad and Peter R. Gargett succeeded their respective fathers to become partners in 1965 of Conrad, Garget & Partners (1965-72). In 1972, the firm was incorporated as Conrad, Gargett & Partners Pty Ltd (1982-2004). Bill Conrad retired as chairman in 1994 and Peter Gargett retired as managing director in 1998. Bruce Wolfe was appointed managing director after the retirement of Bill Conrad and Peter Gargett. Bruce Wolfe is currently managing director. The company was restructured as Conrad Garget Architecture in 2004. The firm is currently based in the Brisbane CBD. The firm specializes in educational, health and life care, commercial, civic, urban design, heritage and defense projects, with limited residential projects completed in recent years.

Important projects

 * Brisbane Fire Station
 * Turbot Street Fruit Market
 * McWhirter and Son Emporium
 * Trades Hall
 * Block 2, Royal Brisbane Hosptial
 * Craigston Apartments
 * Courier-Mail Building
 * Finney Isles
 * Princess Alexandra Hospital
 * Prince Charles Hospital
 * MLC Building
 * Block 7 Royal Brisbane Hospital
 * S.G.I.O. Building
 * National Bank House
 * Sheraton Hotel
 * National Mutual Centre
 * Commonwealth Bank Building
 * IBM Building

Important People

 * H. W. Atkinson
 * C. McLay
 * A. H. Conrad
 * L. L. Powell
 * G. Rae
 * T.B.F. Gargett
 * C.A. Hamilton
 * K.H. Frost
 * P.R. Gargett
 * W.A.H. Conrad
 * L.H. Hailey
 * V.T. Curtis
 * D.E. Winsen
 * M.D. Williamson
 * J.D. McPhee
 * J.L. Blanshard
 * G.J. Cumming
 * E.D. Wyeth
 * R.B. Henderson
 * K.R. Whiteoak
 * F.R. Holmes
 * B. Wolfe