GREATBATCH, Daniel Westwood

Architect

The Kimberley Public Library gives his dates as 1871-1926. A pioneer architect of Kimberley, Greatbatch was born in Blandford, Dorset, England and came to the Cape Colony with his parents in 1880. He continued his education at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown and was articled to Sydney STENT whom he accompanied to the Diamond Fields in 1885. Greatbatch remained four years with Stent before joining RS DAY. In 1889 he worked for a short time in Johannesburg, returning to Kimberley in 1890 and assuming DAY's practice. In 1891 he won the competition for the design of the Kimberley Exhibition Building 'part shed, part Winter Palace' (Roberts 1976:285) and in 1893 adjudicated the East London Town Hall competition. He remained in Kimberley during the Anglo-Boer War, becoming a member of the Town Guard during the Siege of Kimberley. In about 1900 he was appointed architect to the De Beer's Company, the Hospital Board and the Kimberley Public School; he was elected to the Kimberley Town Council in 1901 and around 1904 supervised the erection of the Honoured Dead Memorial, Kimberley for BAKER & MASEY.

Greatbatch built a flourishing practice in Kimberley over the next decade, designing offices, hotels and houses for leading citizens. With the outbreak of the First World War his practice slowed down and in 1918 Greatbatch took William TIMLIN into partnership (cf GREATBATCH & TIMLIN). TIMLIN had remained in Greatbatch's office after completion of his articles with him. In 1921 Greatbatch left for England. His practice was continued by Timlin under the style of GREATBATCH & TIMLIN. According to Yuill (1984), Greatbatch had a great impact on pre-1914 architecture in Kimberley. He was a member of the South African Association of Engineers and Architects in 1894, a member of the Society of Architects London (South African branch) in 1895 and a Fellow of the Cape Institute of Architects in 1914. He was also a keen Freemason.

All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

Alexandersfontein Hotel - Jack Hindon Officers' Club: 1900-1902 : 1907. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect 1900:1907

Beit House - Boarding House for Girls' High School: 1909. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Belgrave Hotel: 1896. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Belgravia Public School: 1905. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr: 1907 : 1936 : 1959. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Church of St John the Evangelist: 1905 : 1935. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

De Beers Consolidated Mines Head Office: n.d. : 1888 : 1904. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Dunluce - McGregor Museum - Lillianville: 1897 : 1930s. Belgravia, Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Exhibition Building for the SA and International Exhibition: 1891. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Golf Clubhouse: 1907 : 1932. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Hebrew School and Hebrew Mortuary: n.d.. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Honoured Dead Memorial: 1902. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Supervising Architect

House: 1901. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House Anderson: 1897. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House Boland: n.d.. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House C Derenish: c1900. Belgravia, Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House Greenburg: 1912. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House H Harris: Lindow House: 1910. Belgravia, Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House Horwitz: 1913. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House T Ennor: 1900. Belgravia, Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

House W Blakemore: 1905. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Kimberley Bldg Soc: 1913. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Kimberley Boys' High School: 1913. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Kimberley Club: 1888 : c1896. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect : 1896

Kimberley Girls' High School: 1905 : 1913. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Kimberley Public Library - Kimberley Africana Library: 1887. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect 1899

Kimberley Public School: c1901. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Kimberley Sanatorium - McGregor Museum: 1897 : 1907. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Memorial Road Synagogue: 1901. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Mission Station for London Missionary Society: pre-1913. Vryburg, North West - Architect

Presbyterian School: 1896. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Princess Christian Ward for Children: 1904. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Savoy hotel: 1901 : 1921. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect 1902

St Cyprian's Cathedral: 1908 : 1926 : 1961. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

St Edward the Confessor Anglican Church - Harmonie NG Kerk - Yonder: 1902. Kenilworth, Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Theatre Royal: 1895. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Town hall, adds BC Jubilee wing: 1897. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

Victoria Memorial, plinth: 1906. Kimberley, Northern Cape - Architect

References

Picton-Seymour, Désirée. 1989. Historical Buildings in South Africa. Cape Town: Struikhof Publishers. pp 96, 98, 99