Edward Bartley - Early Reminiscences of Auckland

Single Item

https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collections-research/collections/record/am_library-photography-56257

"Mr Edward Bartley was a well-known architect, who arrived in New Zealand with his brother in the ship Joseph Fletcher in the year 1854. The dray dropped them on the mainland, at the foot of Shortland Street, just about the entry to the Victoria Arcade. As carpenters and joiners were in request at that time the brothers were soon employed. In those days the hours of labour were from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. however Mr Bartley was one of the first to move in the direction of an eight hours' day in Auckland, which was adopted, and spread throughout Australasia. During the Waikato war Mr Bartley was engaged in building military training stables, which occupied the whole of the Symonds Street frontage from Grafton Road to St. Paul's Church. He also helped to build the stores for Fort Britomart and was working on the construction huts for the soldiers in Albert Park where the barracks were situated, also the Mt. Eden Gaol. He was at one time orderly-sergeant in the No. 5 Militia, but after a few weeks at the front was sent back to work on the military buildings. As far back as 1862 Mr Bartley was foreman for Mr E.J. Matthews for the erection of the first church of St. Paul's at Emily Place, and later was partner with Mr S.H. Matthews in the building trade. Mr Bartley, as longstanding member of the Devonport School Committee was a strong advocate of free, secular, and compulsory education. He was also one of the ten gentlemen who in 1895 founded in Auckland the Technical School, but prior to that he had been conducting evening classes in connection with the Devonport school for architectural drawing. He was also one of the sixteen gentlemen who founded the Auckland Society of Arts in 1869, and has been a member ever since, for many years being hon. treasurer at the time of his death. As far back as 1856 he joined the Auckland Choral Society. He was also one of the gentlemen who formed the Orpheus Glee Club in the early days of Auckland. The other members were the late Mr J. Henderson, the late Mr W.R. Skinner, Mr James Howden, and Mr Henry Brett. Mr Bartley is survived by his widow, whom he married in 1839 [1859], three sons, Messrs Arthur, Alfred, and Albert Bartley, also three daughters, Mesdames Frank Mason, W. Allen, and W. Coates. The interment takes place to-morrow at the Cemetery, O'Neill's Point." [Source: 'The Auckland Star', Vol. L, No. 126, 28 May 1919, Page 5]

Presented by Mr Bryan Bartley (great grandson of Edward Bartley), per Mrs Nola Easdale, in 1979.

15 Nov 2022