About Us
Mason & Wales is an award-winning Registered New Zealand Institute of Architects practice based in the South Island of New Zealand.
Mason & Wales is the first architectural practice in the country, founded in 1862 by William Mason, the first Architect to live and work in New Zealand and the first Mayor of Dunedin.
During its history the firm has been responsible for the design of a large number of notable buildings throughout New Zealand, and has established valued relationships with clients, consultants and contractors alike.
Mason & Wales work with clients from all over the world on a range of projects of all sizes and types, including Master Planning, Institutional, Hospitality, Commercial, Multi-Residential, Houses and Interiors.
The Mason & Wales team works collectively from the Dunedin office, and from Queenstown and Wanaka, with a commitment to making a positive contribution to the built environment. Mason & Wales designs and delivers architecture which strives to be enduring and sustainable to enrich the lives of our clients and the community.
Mason & Wales have built their reputation on the enduring principles of quality, value and professionalism, which is evident in the portfolio of completed work.
Read more about the Mason & Wales history on Architecture Now.
History
WILLIAM MASON (1810 – 1897)
William Mason was born in Ipswich and like his father and grandfather before him, he practiced his architecture in his native town. In 1838 he emigrated to New South Wales, where he took employment with the Colonial Architect. In 1840 he sailed from Sydney to New Zealand as a member of Governor Hobson’s staff, becoming the first architect to live and work in this country.
Mason stayed twenty-two years in Auckland, sampling the many occupations of a colonist – auctioneering, farming, and politics, as well as architecture. While a Member of Parliament, he moved south to Dunedin to enjoy the prosperity of a province suddenly enriched by the discovery of gold.
Arriving in 1862, Mason joined David Ross in the partnership Mason & Ross. This dissolved within six months and in 1864 Mason formed Mason & Clayton with William Henry Clayton, a recent arrival from Tasmania. They immediately began work on the iconic building intended as a post office, but which instead became the first home of the University of Otago (and later the Exchange Building).
After becoming Dunedin’s first mayor in 1865, Mason gradually withdrew from the partnership. Clayton continued Mason & Clayton as his sole practice from 1866 until 1869, when he moved to Wellington to become Colonial Architect.
After several years pursuing farming interests in North Otago, Mason returned to practice in 1871 through Mason & Wales, a new partnership formed with his former employee N Y A Wales.
In 1877, Mason retired to the seclusion of Lake Wakatipu. He died in Dunedin in 1897. Among his well-known buildings are the former Government House in Auckland, St Matthew’s Church, and Bishopscourt, as well as some now demolished works such as the 1865 Exhibition Buildings.
NATHANIEL WALES (1832 – 1903)
Nathaniel Young Armstrong Wales was born in Northumberland, educated in Jedburgh, Scotland and came to Dunedin from Victoria in 1861.
N.Y.A Wales was originally employed by William Mason in 1862, and was later clerk of works for the post office building. He had no strict architectural training, but nor had many men describing themselves as architects at that time. His matter-of-fact approach to the profession, untroubled by finer points of aesthetics, appealed to Mason.
Wales had an outstanding knowledge of the practical side of building and a sound head, which soon after this took him into Parliament and subsequently made him Mayor of Dunedin. He had also an outstanding military career, in which he rose from the ranks to be a Lieutenant-Colonel of Militia and Honorary Colonel of Volunteers.
Wales became a Partner in the firm, and the practice was renamed Mason & Wales. The firm occupied a leading position among the pioneer architects for many years, and a number of the prominent buildings of Dunedin City owe their origin to its ability and diligence.
LATER PRACTICE HISTORY
On the retirement of the William Mason in 1877, Mr Thomas Stevenson joined the firm. Three years later, following Stevenson’s early retirement due to ill health, Mr N Y A Wales became the sole partner. This continued until 1891, when his son P Y Wales joined the firm. The buildings they erected and designed comprise many of the largest and most important public, mercantile and private houses in the city of Dunedin, throughout Otago generally and in various parts of New Zealand.
The second N Y A Wales was born in Dunedin in 1896, the son of P Y A Wales. He was educated at Waitaki Boys High School and after several years of building apprenticeship, he joined his father in the architectural practice and then almost immediately went overseas as a soldier in the NZ Expeditionary Force. He was wounded in action and returned to New Zealand where he rejoined Mason & Wales Architects and completed his studies. Later, he was elected President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (1955-56), an office previously held by his father (1913-14).
In 1956, the third N Y A Wales (Neil) (1927 – 2011) became a partner in the firm, having studied at Otago Boys High School in Dunedin, and at the Auckland University School of Architecture, and following work and travel overseas in Europe, Canada and the United States. Neil was involved with the modern day practice, up until his passing in 2011.
J O Aimers and R W Seaton joined the firm as Partners in 1962, and retired in the 1980s.
RECENT PRACTICE HISTORY
Ashley Muir joined the firm in 1970 and retired as a Director in 2021, although continues to serve as an Architect Consultant.
The current directors are Francis Whitaker, who joined the firm in 1983, and Hamish Muir, who returned to Dunedin to join the firm in 2005.