Portal:The arts/Featured biography/April, 2009
Francis (Frank) William Petre (27 August 1847 – 10 December 1918) was a prominent New Zealand-born architect based in Dunedin. Before his time, 19th-century New Zealand architecture was dominated by an almost institutionalized Gothic revival style, used by the British Empire for its far-flung colonies. Petre, one of the first of New Zealand's native-born architects, played an important part in guiding it towards the Palladian and Renaissance styles of southern Europe, which were more suited to New Zealand's climate than Gothic.
Able to work competently in a wide diversity of architectural styles, he was also notable for his pioneering work in concrete development and construction. He designed numerous public and private buildings, many of which are still standing in and around Dunedin. Today his private houses are among the most distinguished and sought after in New Zealand. However, he is chiefly remembered for the monumental Roman Catholic cathedrals of Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, which survive today as testimony to his talent and architectural expertise.