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Australian architect (1859–1935) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfred Wells (16 May 1859 – 8 December 1935) was an architect in South Australia.
Alfred was born at Marryatville, Adelaide, a son of Percy Wells and his wife Caroline (1831–1901). He was educated at Thomas Caterer's school in Norwood.[1]
In 1871 the family returned to England aboard the Yatala, which was wrecked off the coast of France en route, but without loss of life. He undertook further schooling in Surrey, then studied architecture in London, returning to Adelaide in 1879.[citation needed]
Wells soon found employment with the Engineer-in-Chief's Department under H. C. Mais. He worked for a time with Edmund Wright before returning to the Architect-in-Chief's Department under E. J. Woods, then with Ernest H. Bayer and Latham A. Withall.[2]
In 1885 Bayer left the partnership and Wells took his place. Withall and Wells were in 1885 responsible for two of Adelaide's outstanding structures: the Adelaide Arcade and the Jubilee Exhibition Building (demolished c. 1965), both of which sported ornamental domes.[citation needed]
In 1888 Withall and his family left for Britain,[3] never to return, and Wells ran the business alone, designing for the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now Women's and Children's Hospital) two structures which still stand: the heritage-listed Allan Campbell and the Angas Buildings.[4][5][6]
Other high-profile buildings for which he was responsible were:[4]
Wells retired in 1926, and died at Memorial Hospital, North Adelaide in 1935.[9]
He served as councillor for the City of St. Peters and, like his father, was a prominent Freemason.
Wells married Gertrude E. Pollock (3 December 1860? – 8 January 1946) on 29 August 1883, living at "Rathmines" in Collinswood; they had two sons and two daughters:[citation needed]
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