John Alfred Duffill
Date of birth / Date established
1883
Date of death / Date closed
1967
Person/Corporate type
Individual
Biography
John Alfred Duffill was born in Hawera in 1883. His father was a carpenter and cabinet maker and the family moved with his business; first to Inglewood and later to Wellington. Here, Duffill completed high school and his studies in architecture. In those days, a university course on the subject was not offered, so Duffill learned by taking night school classes and apprenticing with a local architect. He was soon teaching at the night school, although he was only a few classes ahead of his students.
Duffill moved back to Taranaki in 1910 and joined the Eltham based firm of J.W. Rough. Duffill quickly made his mark on the town by assisting in the design of the Eltham Town Hall and neighbouring municipal building. After one year Rough decided to return home to England. Duffill moved the practice to Hawera and carried on alone until he was joined by Stephen Gibson in 1916. Gibson took over the responsibility for residential design and created many of the popular Californian bungalows in the area. This left Duffill free to focus on his passion for designing technically difficult buildings like hospitals and dairy factories. The partnership was successful and lasted 29 years until Gibson’s death in 1945. Duffill continued working for two more years, at first alone and later with Graeme Laurenson and S. Townsend. Duffill retired in 1947 after completing his last major project, a lactose factory in Kapuni. John Alfred Duffill died on 7 August 1967 at the age of 84. His legacy lives on through his buildings and through the Hawera architectural firm which 95 years later, is now known as Cowie, Rockell and Chong.
Duffill moved back to Taranaki in 1910 and joined the Eltham based firm of J.W. Rough. Duffill quickly made his mark on the town by assisting in the design of the Eltham Town Hall and neighbouring municipal building. After one year Rough decided to return home to England. Duffill moved the practice to Hawera and carried on alone until he was joined by Stephen Gibson in 1916. Gibson took over the responsibility for residential design and created many of the popular Californian bungalows in the area. This left Duffill free to focus on his passion for designing technically difficult buildings like hospitals and dairy factories. The partnership was successful and lasted 29 years until Gibson’s death in 1945. Duffill continued working for two more years, at first alone and later with Graeme Laurenson and S. Townsend. Duffill retired in 1947 after completing his last major project, a lactose factory in Kapuni. John Alfred Duffill died on 7 August 1967 at the age of 84. His legacy lives on through his buildings and through the Hawera architectural firm which 95 years later, is now known as Cowie, Rockell and Chong.
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John Alfred Duffill
Maker of
![Alterations to Central Hotel Eltham [plans]; Circa 1918; ARC2003-1137](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83087/53ab181d52c042c884b795aaaa9626a04fb7fd5d.jpg)
![Hawera Winter Show buildings [plans]; 1916; 1918; 1922; ARC2005-144](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84938/d58196024c1eef70f328e0af0d3981c93ea7fa3b.jpg)
![Mangatoki Co-operative Dairy Company Limited [plans]; 1912; 1917; 1934; 1936; 1945; ARC2003-659](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84032/70a7c849576dfb70a650960d3e44f46cfb223b07.jpg)
![Alterations and Additions to Shop in Bridge St., Eltham for T.F. Chalmers [plan]; 12 Apr 1911; ARC2003-684](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83096/92b9421fad5a73a91386bcf0bbcc60a4de85c69b.jpg)
![Business Premises High St. Hawera for Mr R. Chestnut [plan]; 22 May 1915; ARC2003-1145](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83097/534672302833116a20d3f4680a4b8f8841fa8db5.jpg)
![House for Mr. Jas. Yandle Auroa Rd. Otakeho [plan]; 1911; ARC2003-688](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84950/4e35c835d42cc32034f692f420e3db3ee0c42a0c.jpg)
![Residence for A.H. Christie Manaia [plan]; 23 Nov 1911; ARC2003-692](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83098/d4ee6deb8ee8892eb0237ca0e34ddbcfe5b82e49.jpg)
![Plan of Masonic Temple at Opunake [plan]; [Unknown]; ARC2004-1192](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84087/97d3d360507b2e8207ab09483838641af58507de.jpg)
![Plan of Residence at Manaia for F. Milner Esq. [plan]; [Unknown]; ARC2004-1197](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84092/a10b9a1ac2cff13d9e0787d01314e7a18c225a99.jpg)
![Plan of Residence at Manaia for Dr. T. A. Milroy [plans]; 1914; ARC2004-1198](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/84093/2c634456c82a13494090370eb7607e92fbe7d5ad.jpg)
Subject of


![Mr. J.A. Duffill House Argyle Street [plan]; [Unknown]; ARC2003-1146](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83404/6bb80192579557229d8ced915a3394e06f652be9.jpg)
Name/Title:
Duffill family
Accession number:
ARC2007-22
See full details
Name/Title:
Duffill, Mary
Production date:
2005
Accession number:
ARC2005-212
See full details
Name/Title:
Fryer, Arthur
Production date:
2005
Accession number:
ARC2005-213
See full details
Name/Title:
Duffill, Mary
Production date:
1998
Accession number:
ARC2002-292
See full details
![Residence at Eltham for W. Lewin Esq. [plan]; [Unknown]; ARC2004-1104](https://collection.pukeariki.com/records/images/medium/83910/1ee6a971f1352ed182e8ee6c24ea38cfbddc4354.jpg)

