Christian Toxward
New Zealand architect
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christian Julius Toxward[a] (1831–1891) was a New Zealand architect. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1831.[3] He is buried at Bolton Street Memorial Park, and his grave is part of the memorial trail.[4][5] Toxward designed over 200 buildings in the lower North Island from 1866 to his death.[1] Toxward was one of Wellington's most prolific architects through the 1860s to 1870s. Little of Toxward's work today survives but his surviving works have heritage protection.[3]
Christian Toxward | |
|---|---|
Toxward in Danish consul uniform, 1870s | |
| Born | November 26, 1831 |
| Died | September 30, 1891 (aged 59) |
| Citizenship | Naturalised British citizen (1867) |
| Occupations | Architect, Danish consul, director |
| Years active | 1862–1891 |
| Buildings | Kirkcaldie & Stains, St Mary's Cathedral, Wellington Hospital |
Early life
Christian Julius Toxward was born 26 November 1831 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toxward attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1841 to 1851, but did not receive any qualifications from the institute.[1]
Toxward's obituaries state he spent time in the Victorian goldfields before he arrived in New Zealand but the Royal Institute of British Architects state he worked as a draughtsman in Victoria before working in various locations in Europe.[1]
New Zealand career
It is not known when Toxward arrived in New Zealand, although he probably arrived c.1860.[1]
In 1862 Toxward was working as a surveyor in Dunedin and as an architect with Augustus Poeppel.[b] Poeppel was dismissed from his position as city surveyor and architect due to malpractice. By 1864 Toxward was living in Invercargill. On 13 November 1865 Toxward was living in Wellington and by April of next year he was advertising architectural and engineering services in Wellington. That year he designed a 'Scotch Church' on Lambton Quay and would go onto design 230 buildings, mostly around Wellington but Toxward also designed buildings in the Wairarapa and New Plymouth.[1] Toxward may have been the first to introduce rusticated boards to New Zealand in the 1860s.[6][7] Toxward designed the first masonry buildings in Wellington in 1875 and this building was one of the earliest to use sprinklers.[3][8]
In 1876 Toxward became the Wellington Education Board architect.[c] In 1883 the New Zealand government had Toxward produce designs for dairy factories for a promotional booklet.[1]
Toxward died 30 September 1891.[1]
Personal life
On 7 October 1864 Toxward married Jane Hall Hughes at St John's Church in Invercargill. In 1867 he naturalised as British citizen.[1]
Toxward was a Grandmaster of the Wellington Freemasons, justice of the peace, and Danish consul. Toxward was a director for the Wellington Trust & Loan Company and mine manager for the Wellington Quartz Crushing Company. In his role as Danish consul Toxward assisted Danish immigrants arriving in New Zealand. Toxward arranged a display of taxidermed specimens from the Christiana Museum at the Colonial Museum and Otago Museum.[1]
List of works
| Name | Date | Image | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Cathedral, Wellington | 1867 |  | Destroyed by fire in 1898 | [9] |
| Kirkcaldie & Stains store | 1868 | .jpg){kind=small} | Registered as a category 2 building with Heritage New Zealand. Only the facade remains | [10] |
| Wellington Grammar School | 1868 |  | Burnt down in 1901 | [3][11] |
| Old St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington | 1868–1874 |  | Original building was designed by Frederick Thatcher but Toxward designed two extensions adding a north and south transept. | [12] |
| Powles House | 1872 | Registered as a category 1 building with Heritage New Zealand | [13] | |
| 6 Parliament Street | 1873 | Part of the Ascot Street Heritage Area | [14] | |
| Mount View Lunatic Asylum | 1873 |  | Partially demolished but a surviving part of the structure is registered as a category 2 building with Heritage New Zealand | [15] |
| Wellington College | 1874 |  | Demolished in 1931 | [3][16] |
| Union Bank of Australia | 1875 |  | Destroyed by fire in 1906 | [17][3] |
| Wellington Hospital | 1875 |  | Demolished in 1968 | [3][18] |
| St Andrew's on the Terrace | 1879 | Burnt down in 1922 | [19] | |
| Dr Buller's house | 1882 |  | [20] | |
| St Andrew's Church, Martinborough | 1882 | Registered as a category 2 building with Heritage New Zealand | [21] | |
| St David's Church, Petone | 1889 |  | Registered as a category 2 building with Heritage New Zealand | [22] |
| First Presbyterian Church, Martinborough | 1891 |  | Scheduled with the South Wairarapa District Council | [21] |
| Dr Boor's house | 1866 | .jpg) | Unknown architect, potentially Toxward. Registered as a category 1 building with Heritage New Zealand | [23][24] |
Further reading
- Mew, G.; Humphris, Adrian (2020). Architects at the Apex. Martinborough, New Zealand: Ngaio Press. ISBN 978-0-9941349-4-3.