John Mitchell and Robert Martin Watt were a pair of New Zealand architects who designed numerous buildings, primarily educational buildings, several of which have been heritage listed.
Mitchell and Watt entered into a partnership in 1892 as architects for the Auckland Education Board[a] until at least 1905.
John Mitchell
John Mitchell (c.1859–1947)[2] was born in Ramelton, Ireland, he trained as an architect in Ireland before heading to New Zealand in 1888.[3][4] He was an early adopter of reinforced concrete and developed a baked earthenware block. In 1912 he went to England before returning to New Zealand a decade later.[3] Mitchell spent the later years of his life in Rotorua, where he would die in 1947.[5]
In 1906 Watt was elected as president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects[2] Watt lived in a home he named Glencairn in Bayfield, Ponsonby. He died in April, 1907. Before his death he was appointed to judge designs of the Auckland Town Hall.[6]
Mitchell and Watt
The two architects formed a partnership in 1892, previously they worked independently in Auckland.[4] Later that year they were appointed to the Auckland Education Board. Mitchell and Watt designed multiple school buildings in the Auckland Province area.[2] The pair also designed numerous residential, commercial, and religious buildings.[4] Their partnership ended either c.1905 or 1907.[b][6][1]
Mitchell was responsible for new works whilst Watt was responsible for existing works and extensions. The pair designed numerous school buildings across the Auckland Province area[1]
In December, 1902, the pair received notice from the Board of Education that their employment was to be terminated in three months. The pair were given a hearing to justify the dismissal, where the board charged them with incurring excessive costs and delays, but public support for the architects resulted in the board members being voted out at the election with those who supported Mitchell and Watt being elected with a strong majority. The Auckland Star described the charges as 'utterly insignificant'.[8][9]
The pair were likely inspired by Edward Robert Robson in their design of school buildings. Robson favoured the Queen Anne style as he believed Gothic architecture's association with religion was inappropriate for secular educational buildings. Education in New Zealand was secular and many of Mitchell and Watt's designs are influenced by the Queen Anne style, notable examples include Bayfield School and Onehunga Primary School.[1][10]
Schools designed by Mitchell and Watt are 'held to represent an important phase in the architectural development of school buildings in New Zealand'.[11]
Mitchell and Watt had innovative design techniques relating to ventilation, lighting, and heating.[1] Examples include ventilation holes in the eaves, a patented stove, and large windows.[11]
An extension which is now the main building was built in 1913 to a design from Mitchell and Watt. Registered as a category B building with Auckland Council
^Roelants, Deidre (3 April 2015). "Ponsonby Fire Station". Ponsonby News. p. 27.
Notes
^The Auckland Education Board's boundaries are equivalent to the former Auckland Province and not the modern Auckland region or urban area.[1]
^Watt's obituary states his partnership ended two or three years before his death. Modern sources state the partnership lasted until 1907. Watt's known work after 1905 was independent of Mitchell and Mitchell has no recorded work after 1905 until after Watt's death.
^One source attributes the building to Mitchell and another source attributes it to both Mitchell and Watt[13][14]
^One source credits both men for St James but another states only Watt was involved.[4][16]: 68
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