Irving, Andrew

IRVING, Andrew (1854–1940) was born at Rochdale, Lancashire, England, the fourth son of John Irving, a draper, and Sarah Holden. As a centre of textile manufacturing, Rochdale boomed in the nineteenth century. In 1871 Irving was listed as an architects’ articled clerk. He claimed to have worked for about ten years and may have trained with the yet to be confirmed architects ‘Whitaker & New’, possibly the local architects, William Wilkinson Whitaker (c1813-1894) and maybe Thomas Barlow Newby (c1849–1892) although there is no evidence that were ever in partnership, let along for a decade. In the 1881 census Irving was listed as an architect and surveyor. With his brothers, he migrated in c1882 to Queensland, followed in 1883 by Keyden Edgar Smith whom he married in Brisbane in December 1883. Andrew Irving worked for two years with Richard GAILEY before moving to Melbourne in September 1884. There, he was employed by the Metropolitan Gas Company until July 1888 and was still in Melbourne in January 1889 when he applied successfully for a position as a temporary architectural draftsman with the Queensland Public Works Department. In a letter of recommendation, Gailey wrote that Irving was “a very good draftsman but slow”. Irving was an unsuccessful entrant in the Queensland Museum competition. When work became scarce, he was retrenched in July 1891 but was reinstated in October and came to play a crucial role in the Queensland Government Architect‘s office as office manager. Later joining the permanent staff, he served as a draftsman until 1899, a senior draftsman to 1907, Chief Draftsman to 1913 and Senior Assistant Architect from 1913, acting as Deputy Government Architect during Thomas PYE’s various absences. By 1900 Irving was involved in the design of the “better class” public buildings but his specific contribution is not known. Concurrently with Thomas Pye, Irving retired in 1921 with gratuity of £227/10/- (6 months’ salary on full pay). Thereafter he practiced as an architect in George St, being registered as an architect in Queensland in 1929 before retiring c1935. JVD Coutts noted that Irving’s private practice was mostly domestic. In his youth he was a prominent Rugby Union player. He died at his residence in Ascog Terrace, Toowong.