Herbert Nathaniel Davis
Herbert Nathaniel Davis (20 December 1867 – 14 March 1900) was an Australian architect responsible for designing a number of the extant heritage buildings in Fremantle, Western Australia.[1][2]
Herbert Nathaniel Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 20, 1867 |
| Died | March 14, 1900 (aged 32) Ord Street, Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Occupation | Architect |
He died at the age of 32, and was interred in the Jewish section of Fremantle Cemetery.[1]
Buildings
Davis' portfolio included:
- 1893: Extensions to the Pier Hotel, Cliff Street.[1]
- 1895:
- Refurbishment of a private residence into the Esplanade Hotel, Marine Terrace. (Interior only; the exterior was redesigned by J. Herbert Eales in 1903 to the form still extant in 2016.)[1]
- The McDonald Smith Building.[1]
- The Union Stores Building, corner of High and Henry Streets. Built for Bateman Hardware. The verandahs of this building were removed, and restored in 1986.[1][3]
- 1896: The Lilly Building, 34-36 Cliff Street (next door to the above).[1]
- c. 1900: The Tolley & Co Warehouse, 1 Pakenham Street. The building still bears the sign for the Tolley Co. even though that company only occupied their purpose-built facility for eleven years.[1][4]
Family
Davis was born on 20 December 1867 in Sydney, New South Wales, into a Jewish family. His father Eleazor (or Eleazer) M. Davis was a businessman,[2] importing and selling toys from their shop "The Civet Cat" in King Street in central Sydney.[2] His mother Frances (Fanny) Matilda Lazarus raised Herbert and his elder brother Edward Davis, and suffered a number of miscarriages between the births of the two boys. Both his parents were born in England.[2]
In December 1865, a fire destroyed a great deal of the shop's stock — more than they were insured for.[2] Five years before this the business had also briefly been declared insolvent. The boys' mother died in 1888, when Davis was 19.[2]
Not much is known of Davis' education, but by the age of 21 he was a member of the Hebrew Literary and Debating Society, debating at the Great Synagogue.[2] Soon after this he moved to Western Australia.
Architectural practice
After briefly setting up business in 1892[2] in the Swan Chambers building in Hay Street in the Perth CBD, Davis moved to Fremantle where he was to have a successful career, albeit one that lasted little more than a decade.
References
- Garry Gillard (11 February 2016). "Fremantle Stuff > People > Herbert Nathaniel Davis". Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- Taylor, John J. (November 2013), Herbert Nathaniel Davis (PDF), Australian Institute of Architects
- "New Buildings at Fremantle". The West Australian. 11 (2, 887). Western Australia. 20 May 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 20 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Commercial Building, 1 Pakenham Street". Retrieved 20 March 2016.