History of the Harvey Family in the Building Industry

Whilst Hendre is a ‘relatively’ new business established by its owner Nathan Harvey, members of the Harvey family have been involved the building industry consecutively since 1825 in one form or another. 

1825 - George Harvey

George Harvey owned and operated a successful pottery, brick and tile making business in England with his wife and sons, supplying bricks and tiles to the building industry in the area. From this relationship with the building industry two of George’s sons went onto become well established and successful builders with other sons becoming carpenters or continued making pottery, bricks and tiles. 

1850 - Frederick & James Harvey

Frederick Harvey and his brother James Harvey were the second generation of the Harvey family to be involved in the building industry and the first as builders, over 170 years ago.

Frederick started as a carpenter in 1848, and by 1851 was well established in the area around Southern Wiltshire, England as a carpenter, wheelwright and blacksmith. By 1855 he had already become a Master Builder employing at times as many as 40 people (large for such districts).

Frederick was involved in the construction of many buildings in the area from building and renovating houses for the Wyndham family estates to larger buildings such as blacksmiths, shops and schools such as the Chilmark School house built in 1860 and still standing to this day.

James Harvey, Fredericks brother was a stonemason by trade and helped his brother in Wiltshire in his building business. In the late 1850’s James decided to move to Australia where he established himself as a builder in the then booming gold mining town of Ballarat, Victoria as part of a partnership called Harvey & Morrison.

Here in Ballarat, James with his business partner were the contractors for and built numerous buildings in the area including the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, the oldest regional art gallery in Australia and in 1891 one of James’s last contracts, the Trawalla Homestead near Beaufort, Victoria. He was also involved in the building of dwellings and many renovations and additions to buildings in the area, including the Police Inspectors House and also civil works such as roads.

1898 - Lancelot Harvey

The third generation of the Harvey family involved in the building industry was Lancelot Harvey, Frederick’s son and James's nephew who, moved to Canada in 1898 and established himself as a pioneer builder building his own home and other homes in the province of Manitoba. Here he also worked as a land guide placing settlers on their holdings and as a land surveyor.

Lance, then moved to Western Australia in 1907 to the wheatbelt district building once again his own home and helping in the building of other pioneer homes in the area. It was in the area around Lance’s home that the town Erikin in Western Australia was founded and named after his son Eric Harvey. Lance later in life became a farmer just prior to and after serving in World War 1.

1930 - Eric Harvey

Eric Harvey, the fourth generation and son of Lancelot, was a carpenter and joiner by trade and built railway cars and wagons as well as homes and other buildings in Western Australia. After serving in World War Two in the Pacific War, he continued utilising his carpentry skills in other building projects in Western Australia.

1960 - Robert Harvey

Eric's son Robert Harvey, commenced his carpentry and building business in Western Australia and in the 1970’s moved to Adelaide, South Australia where he began a business renovating homes and from there expanded to constructing outdoor gazebos. Robert then moved to Queensland where he continued this business successfully.

2001 - Nathan Harvey

Robert Harvey’s nephew Nathan Harvey became the sixth generation to work in the building industry becoming a Building Designer in 2001. He, in Adelaide, South Australia established Hendre providing Building Design and drafting services to the general public, businesses and builders.