Heathcote George Helmore (1 May 1894 – 21 May 1965) was a notable New Zealand architect.

Early life

Helmore was born in

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

, New Zealand, in 1894, the eldest child of Christchurch-born solicitor and former national rugby representative

George Helmore George Henry Noble Helmore (15 June 1862 – 28 June 1922) was a New Zealand rugby union player who played for the first New Zealand national team on their 1884 tour of New South Wales. Although he never played a test match, he played seven mat ...

and his wife Janet Maud Gray. His grandfather, Joseph Helmore, owned Millbrook in Christchurch and Helmores Lane went through the middle of that property, with the name commemorating his grandfather. Like his father, he attended Christ's College. At 17 he was articled to architect Cecil Wood but before his time was complete war broke out and he served four years as wartime aide-de-camp to New Zealand's governor, later governor-general,

Lord Liverpool Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, (7 June 1770 – 4 December 1828) was a British Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. He held many important cabinet offices such as Foreign Secret ...

. He was admitted to the

New Zealand Institute of Architects Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) is a membership-based professional organisation that represents 90 per cent of all registered architects in New Zealand, and promotes architecture that enhances the New Zealand livi ...

in June 1920. In the 1919 King's Birthday Honours, Helmore was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services as aide-de-camp to the governor-general.

Architectural career

In mid 1920 he went with Guy Cotterill to London to expand their architectural knowledge and experience by working in the offices of well-known firms including in Helmore's case some time as an assistant to Edwin Lutyens. He returned to Christchurch and set up his personal practice in February 1923 winning some substantial commissions.

Helmore and Cotterill

In 1924 Helmore went into partnership with Guy Cotterill. Their partnership lasted until Helmore's death in 1965. They designed Isaac House, which was built in 1926 and is registered by

Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...

as a Category II structure. Helmore designed

Victoria Mansions Victoria Mansions is a residential Category II heritage building in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Heathcote Helmore had the commission in 1931 to design the building; he designed in Art Deco as was fashionable at the time. In March 1935, V ...

in 1931; the apartment building's construction did not start until 1935, though. He designed the Canterbury Pioneer Women's Memorial at the top of the Bridle Path that goes from Lyttelton to the

Heathcote Valley Heathcote Valley is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is named after Sir William Heathcote, who was secretary of the Canterbury Association. Location Nestled at the foot of the steep volcanic crags that form the northern edge of the hil ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helmore, Heathcote 1894 births 1965 deaths 20th-century New Zealand architects People from Rangiora New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch New Zealand expatriates in England New Zealand military personnel of World War I