Henry G. Wade, Henry L. Wade and Norman Wade architectural drawings collection.

Henry Greensmith Wade was born at Lanton near Nottingham in England in 1835. He arrived in Auckland on the 'Ida Zeigler' in 1863. He worked as manager for timber merchant George Holdship, then secretary and director of the Kauri Timber Company and was City Valuer for 10 years. He started his architectural practice in Auckland around 1881 and served as treasurer and secretary for the Auckland Institute of Architects. Wade was married twice and died on 4 April 1900. Two of his sons, Henry Logan Wade and Thomas Edward Norman Wade (known as Norman), trained as architects under their father. In 1899 Henry Logan Wade (1878–1947) took over his father’s practice. He was elected secretary of the Auckland Institute of Architects in 1900. Norman Wade (1880-1954) formed the practice Goldsbro’ and Wade with George Selwyn Goldsbro’ in July 1902.The partnership was dissolved 6 years later in July 1908. Norman immediately joined his brother Henry in partnership. The practice of Wade and Wade lasted until around 1919 when Norman formed a partnership with Alva M. Bartley. Their partnership appears to have ceased around 1935. In 1951 Norman joined Edward George Le Petit and Jack Lever Naylor in partnership until his death in 1954.

(Based on Jane Matthew's 'Evolution of a practice', unpublished manuscript.)