W. Philcox and Sons Builders architectural drawings collection

William Philcox (1838-1917) was born in Hartfield, Wealden District, East Sussex, England.(1) He arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Lord Burleigh on 8 August 1856.(2) In 1857 he married Sarah Elizabeth Rose (1836-1918) and together they had 4 sons and 11 daughters.(3)

Philcox is listed as a carpenter on the ‘Jury List for 1859-60’.(4) Between 1864-1866 tenders by Philcox and Vaughan appear in the Daily Southern Cross and New Zealand Herald. In 1873 Philcox and Edward Bartley successfully tendered for “re-building the General Government buildings”.(5) Their partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in October 1876.(6)

W. Philcox and Sons successfully tendered to erect the New Zealand Meat and Storage Works in 1884.(7) The company went on to construct numerous buildings including offices, warehouses, factories, commercial buildings, banks, freezing works and houses, predominantly located in the Auckland region. These were frequently in collaboration with some of Auckland’s most eminent architects such as Edward Bartley; Gummer and Ford; Edward Mahoney and Son; Daniel B. Patterson; Alexander Wiseman. W. Philcox and Sons also designed and constructed numerous buildings independently such as those in Parnell for New Zealand Shipping Company, Farmer’s Cooperative Auctioneering Company, and North Auckland Farmers’ Co-operative Ltd.(8)

William Philcox died at home in Devonport on 20 July 1917 aged 79 and is buried in O’Neill’s Point Cemetery, Belmont, Auckland. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife, 3 sons and 5 daughters.(9) Sons Thomas Philcox (1858-1940), William Newton Philcox (1870-1961) and Henry Bates Philcox (1876-1930) continued the business until 1928.(10)

1. Williamson-Lee, Terri. “William Philcox”. Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184957545/william-newton-philcox

2. Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 952, 12 August 1856, page 2. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18560812.2.3

3. Mooney, Kathryn. “William Philcox (1838-1917)”. WikiTree. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Philcox-107

4. New Zealander, Volume XV, Issue 1338, 12 February 1859, page 1 (Supplement). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZ18590212.2.20.2

5. New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2841, 7 March 1873, page 2. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18730307.2.12

6. New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4645, 3 October 1876, page 1. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18761003.2.2.6

7. Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4438, 5 August 1884, page 2. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18840805.2.11

8. Auckland Council Heritage Unit. Heritage Evaluation: New Zealand Shipping Company, Farmer’s Cooperative Auctioneering Company, North Auckland Farmers’ Cooperative Ltd (former)117-125 St Georges Bay Road and 7-11 Kenwyn Street, Parnell, page 5. https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/UnitaryPlanDocuments/pc7-02824-parnell-warehouses.pdf

9. Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1917, page 2. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19170720.2.15

10. Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 198, 21 August 1940, page 10. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19400821.2.128