George Selwyn Goldsbro’ was the son of Dr. Charles Field Goldsboro, who had emigrated to New Zealand in 1860, serving as a surgeon during the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the ...

. Charles Goldsboro finished his medical degree at

Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

in 1868 and returned to Auckland, where his son George was born in 1870. George studied under R. Mackay Fripp from 1884 to 1888. Fripp had arrived in Auckland in 1881, opened an

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

office and later became the secretary of the Auckland Society of Arts, where he introduced architecture classes and competitions. In 1888 Fripp left for Canada and Goldsbro' for Australia. Goldsbro' worked in Sydney and Melbourne under Sulman & Power, Howard Joseland and Theo Kemnis. In 1896 Fripp joined Goldsbro' in partnership in Auckland but left again in 1898 for Canada. Goldsbro' was the Hon Architect to the Anglican Diocese and designed the chapel of St Saviour's Papatoetoe; the Presbyterian church in Uxbridge Road, Howick; St Luke's in Russell Road Manurewa, St George's Parish Hall Papatoetoe; the Orphans' Home Papatoetoe and the Paterson wing at St. John's College. Goldbro' designed many houses, including his own house at 66 Gillies Ave (1905); the Bloomfield house Gladstone Road (demolished 1999); the Goldie house St Georges Bay Road (demolished); the Friend house 33 Owens Road; the Coates house Pencarrow Ave; the Kidd house 74 Gillies Ave (1903); 11 Kimberley Road; 23 Seaview Road and 20 Ōrākei Road. From 1902 to 1909 Goldsbro' was in partnership with

Henry Wade Henry Menasco Wade (November 11, 1914 – March 1, 2001) was an American lawyer who served as district attorney of Dallas County from 1951 to 1987. He participated in two notable U.S. court cases of the 20th century: the prosecution of Jack R ...

. In 1909 the firm designed the main building of

Auckland Girls Grammar School "Through trials to triumph" , colours = gold, navy blue , type = State single-sex girls' secondary school (Years 9–13) , established = 1878 , address = Howe Street, Newton, Auckland , coordinates = , principal = Ngaire Ashmore ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

Goldsbro' went into partnership with E Holm Biss, then the firm became Goldsbro' and Carter in 1920s. This was the first architectural firm with a strong Arts and Crafts influence to initiate the shingle and tile movement in Auckland. The practice also trained several important Auckland architects, such as Gerald Jones and Frederick Browne.

References

- Clippings file, Auckland University Architecture Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldsbro, George Selwyn New Zealand architects 1870 births Year of death missing