Tribute to Thomas Loveridge, 7 Dec, 1927. Construction and Local Government Journal

The Passing of a Great Builder  

In recording the death on Monday morning last of Mr. Thomas Loveridge,. well-known member of a long established family of Sydney builders, we have a sad and regrettable duty. Tasks of this kind fall to our lot occasionally. But there is one great, if inadequate compensation for the removal of personalities in the architectural and building world who have  

wound themselves into the community in ??? of domestic, civic, social and other kind which place them in high esteem, in that even if the physical entity be removed the spirit which.'   inhabited that temporary abode remains, and   works they contributed to the creation of our cities tell thereof; whilst their influences remain to act as an incentive for others. Mr. Thomas Loveridge left some of the     finest monuments that stand to-day in Sydney, which, together with his partner, Herbert Hudson he wrought and raised with greatest care.   Such are the Equitable Building, the Bank of Australasia, the Registrar General's Office, the Art Galley; the Customs House, and   numerous others. They are records of his character and life, and it is with such memorials that we prefer to dwell, rather than in sorrow for the departure of a life well spent. Aaron Loveridge, the father of Thomas, and father-in-law of Herbert Hudson, was a fine example and inspiration to those who followed in his footsteps. Working as a mason in his early years at Buckingham Palace, he came to Australia in 1852, where a year later he commenced business as a master builder in Sydney, raising such splendid structures as portions of Sydney University, under Architect Edmund Blackett, fortifications at George's Head, foundations of the G.P.O., George St. end; Australian Museum, tower and spire of St. John's Church, Darlinghurst, the two towers and pinnacles of St. Andrew's ' Cathedral, and the Great Synagogue, Elizabeth. Street.     Such beautiful examples could not fail to spur his son with a love of stone and a desire to build well. He served his apprenticeship under his father on some of the latter's principal works. In fact he had experience in building on the battery at George's Head at the date of the. Franco-Prussian War; (1870), his father having to rush through this work under instruction to Sir James Martin, who joined in the general scare of that date regarding the possibility of an enemy invasion.

At school Thomas Loveridge became the   chum of Herbert Hudson, son of Henry Hudson the founder of Hudson Bros, afterwards   the Clyde Engineering Company. The two   kindred spirits left school together and linked in apprenticeship under Aaron Loveridge. At the end of their time the two lads were brothers-in-law and decided to start business for themselves. They had more pluck than   capital, having but £100 each to launch out with. Their first work was the building of a residence at Blackheath for John Pope, of   Farmer and Co. They were given this work without competition, and camped out on the   ground whilst building. Thus the firm of Love ridge and Hudson blossomed into being. They anticipated the great works ahead of them, but did not aim too high for a start. The United Insurance Building Pitt Street, designed by Morell and Kemp was in hand by A. Dean, and Loveridge and Hudson secured a sub-contract for masonry and brick work. A similar contract was one for the   Commercial Bank of Australia. Pitt and Rowe Streets, the architects being Mansfield Bros, and the builder Arthur Scott.   Soon after this tenders were called for a suspension bridge over Kangaroo Valley, the first Government suspension bridge in the state. which the young builders succeeded in obtaining.   Subsequently there followed a contract for the great Equitable Building which they were successful in securing in public competition. This was a great undertaking and remains to their everlasting memory as a great achievement; a monument to pluck and courage     well as to skill, for a modern type of Romanesque architecture that was unknown in local practice was introduced into this building, carried out in trachyte with its famous entrance arch of enormous span, a triumph in stone. Built in 1893; there is no building to-day in Sydney of more outstanding design or finer   masonry construction.   The architect, Mr. Raht of America, stated at the time that the design was entirely new   to Australia, and there was not a similar building in the world. It was also the first building in Australia to be built of trachyte from Messrs Loveridge and Hudson's stone quarry at Bowral. The architect was enthusiastic when he saw samples of this trachyte, and said he recognised it as identical with the stone with

THOMAS LOVERIDGE Master Builder, who passed away last Mon day, aged 69. Mr. Loveridge was the oldest surviving member of the Sydney Master Builders' Association, and was President of the Association in 1903, and trustee up till the time of his death. He was also President of the Federated Master 'Builders Association. 1906 1909, and was a prominent bowler.

GEORGE STREET VIEW OF THE EQUITABLE BUILDING, SYDNEY Owing to the difficulty in photographing the   actual building in the narrow and congested .   street, we have to rely upon this ancient wash   drawing to do justice to the design. Unfortunately the magnificent scale and detail of their   great arch— a memorial to the skill of the builders who constructed it, is lost in this picture. It absorbs the greater part of the George   Street front for two storeys, measuring 46 feet   across. 21 solid blocks of stone compose the voussoirs, each of which weighs between 3     and 4 tons. The jointings so delicately achieved make it appear that the enormous rough hewn blocks hang lightly in the air, sup ported at either end by two beautifully polished trachyte columns and thin buttress walls.   The arch holds 60 tons of stone and is carrying 700 tons of material above, though this is     difficult to realise owing to the clever manipulation of the supports above and the piercing of the spandrels. .

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OVk Built by Thomas. Loveridge and Herbert Hudson from designs by a former Government Architect.