William Fielding (architect)

Born in 1875 at Lower Darwen, Lancashire, England, Fielding was the son of Mary (née Turnbull) and Robert Fielding, and was educated at Kilgrimol School in Lancashire.[1][2] In 1900, Fielding married Lily Midgley, and the couple went on to have two children.[2]

The former Evening Post Building, Wellington, designed by Fielding and completed in 1928.

Fielding trained as an architect under John Whitaker, and later became a junior partner with Manchester architect, John Dent Harker.[3] Fielding is known to have worked on the St Annes-on-the-Sea Carnegie Library designed by Harker.[4] Moving to New Zealand around 1908, Fielding established his own practice in Wellington in 1909, and designed nearly 300 buildings in the city and elsewhere.[2][3] SIgnificant examples of his work include:

• Assembly Hall for the Vogeltown and Mornington Public Hall Society, Vennell Street, Brooklyn.[5]
• Capitol Theatre, Miramar.[6]
• Congregational Church, 45 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro.[3]
• Evening Post Building, 82 Willis Street, Te Aro.[3]
• Flats for Mrs Turner-Cottier, 83 Kent Terrace, Te Aro.[7]
• Kilbirnie Wesleyan Church, Waitoa Road, Hataitai.[8]
• Lampard Flats, 284–286 Cuba Street, Te Aro.[3]
• Plumbers Building, 122–124 Wakefield Street, Te Aro.[3]
• Rosco Tearooms, 2–6 Coleman Place, Palmerston North.[9]
• St Christopher's Church, 27 Ventnor Street, Seatoun.[3]
• Ward Memorial Methodist Church and Hall, 69 Northland Road, Northland.[3]
• Wellington Trades' Hall Building, 124–128 Vivian Street, Te Aro.[3]

He also supervised the restoration of Antrim House in Wellington following a fire in 1940.[10]

Fielding was admitted LRIBA in 1913, and elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1915.[2] He served as chairman of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.[11]

A member of the Hataitai Bowling Club,[2] Fielding represented New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, and competed in the singles, pairs, and fours.[12] He won the silver medal with his partner Peter McWhannell in the pairs event, and In the singles competition he won the bronze medal.[12] The foursome of Fielding, McWhannell, Edward Leach, and Harold Frost finished fifth.[13]

Fielding died on 26 July 1946, and his funeral was held at the Congregational Church in Cambridge Terrace, Wellington, which he had designed.[11] He was buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington.[14]