Archer Hoskings

Hoskings was born in Surry Hills, Sydney. He was the first of six children born to Emily (née Barrett) and her husband industrialist William Henry Hoskings. His younger brother was Arthur Hoskings who later in life played cricket for a combined Canada/USA team.^[2] Hoskings’s early education was at Burwood Public School. In 1881 he commenced his senior education at Newington College remaining there until 1883. At the time his well to do family lived in Middleton Street, Stanmore, immediately behind the college grounds and he was a day boy.^[3] On leaving school he was briefly employed by the builder A.A. Tayt but in 1884 he commenced serving his articles with architects and engineers Kenwood & Kurle and studying architecture at Sydney Technical College. At 16 years of age he won a student competition for a pavilion at Ashfield and at the age of 18 he won a competition for the design of the Wollongong Town Hall. In 1886 Kenwood & Kerle supervised the construction of the building.^[4][5]

In 1888, Hoskings travelled to England and obtained a position as an assistant architect to Charles Barry Jr. On 11 July 1889 he enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools to study architecture. That year he was recommended by Barry as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).^[6] Barry saw him as being "a young man of more than average ability". At 21 years of age Hoskings was the youngest member ever admitted to the Institute. In January 1891 Hoskings won the Soane Medallion a £50 travelling scholarship awarded by RIBA.^[7]