Harry Wilfred Webster

Harry Wilfred Webster was born in Essex, England in 1885 and undertook his architectural training there.¹

By his own account he came to Australia in 1907 and, having been employed in Sydney, arrived in Taree in November 1911.² Here he established his own business and by early 1913 was trading from premises in Victoria Street, Taree.³

1913 was a busy year for Webster with commissions encompassing residential, commercial and ecclesiastical buildings in both the Manning and Kempsey regions. One project was a design prepared for Canon Phillips, for a new church on Oxley Island.⁴ (St Barnabas, completed 1922, and since converted to a private residence.)

Life was also complicated by a court case where he was alleged to have been negligent in his oversight of four dwellings under construction in Railway Street, Taree.⁵

In 1918 Harry married Elizabeth Smithwick Mills in Queensland following which he appears to have resided in that State until his death in 1969.⁶

Although his time in Taree was short-lived, his memory is perpetuated by the surviving buildings designed by him, such as the Presbytery at Krambach⁷ (1915) and 119 Cornwall Street, Taree⁸ (c1913) both of which are listed as local Heritage Items.

Author: Penny Teerman