James Lonsdale grew up in Uralla and worked as a builder and undertaker in that town.
He had served his apprenticeship with his uncle Edmund Lonsdale, who unfortunately had gone broke building the Armidale railway station.
Wanting to expand his business James came to Glen Innes where he built his own home at 117 Wentworth Street – to which he added a buggy shed in 1911.
The backyard of his house adjoined land fronting Grey Street and there he built his business premises and advertised, it seems firstly in 1902, his skills as ‘builder, cabinetmaker and undertaker’.
There was ample room at this address for the bullock teams to turn off the street when pulling timber into his yard – as well he was close to home.
He transported his furniture from Uralla in several stages and when finally, the family joined him, they arrived by horse and dray – the six children comfortably seated on a mattress in the dray.
He and Elizabeth had a further three children and when the family – now comprising Ruby, Claude, Lindley, Vida, Searle, Cora, Phyllis, Zella, and Jean – not surprisingly outgrew the house at 117 Wentworth Street, the council granted Lonsdale’s application to build a more commodious residence at 84 West Avenue to accommodate the nine children.
This home was described as ‘quite a showpiece’.
Sadly, before this new home could be completed, he collapsed suddenly on his way home from work and died a few days later, on March 5, 1917 aged only 54. He was described as ‘a man of wholehearted benevolence.’
His largest projects were the erection of the Club Hotel in 1906 and the replacement building of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, 1908-1909 and Deepwater Church of England.
He had completed a variety of projects, including a butcher shop in Grey Street, produce store in Wentworth Street, water closet at the Town Hall, three shops in Grey Street opposite the Town Hall for local architect F J Madigan, a blacksmith’s premises, alterations to Holy Trinity Church of England, band rotunda in the park, bathroom, and Nurses Home at the Hospital – and many more, including numerous cottages.
Despite the relatively short time he had worked in Glen Innes we are so grateful for the solid legacy he left as much of his distinctive work is still standing after more than 100 years.