William Fielding (1875 – 26 July 1946) was a New Zealand architect who practised in Wellington. He was also a bowls player, winning two medals at the 1930 British Empire Games.

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William Fielding

Personal information
Born	1875 Lower Darwen, Lancashire, England
Died	26 July 1946 (aged 70) Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation	Architect
Spouse	Lily Midgley ​ (m. 1900)​
Sport
Country	New Zealand
Sport	Lawn bowls
Club	Hataitai
Medal record Men's Lawn bowls Representing  New Zealand British Empire Games 1930 Hamilton Pairs 1930 Hamilton Single

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Born in 1875 at Lower Darwen, Lancashire, England, Fielding was the son of Mary (née Turnbull) and Robert Fielding, and was educated at Kilgrimol School in Lancashire.^[1][2] In 1900, Fielding married Lily Midgley, and the couple went on to have two children.^[2]

Fielding trained as an architect under John Whitaker, and later became a junior partner with Manchester architect, John Dent Harker.^[3] Fielding is known to have worked on the St Annes-on-the-Sea Carnegie Library designed by Harker.^[4] Moving to New Zealand around 1908, Fielding established his own practice in Wellington in 1909, and designed nearly 300 buildings in the city and elsewhere.^[2][3] SIgnificant examples of his work include:

• Assembly Hall for the Vogeltown and Mornington Public Hall Society, Vennell Street, Brooklyn.^[5]
• Capitol Theatre, Miramar.^[6]
• Congregational Church, 45 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro.^[3]
• Evening Post Building, 82 Willis Street, Te Aro.^[3]
• Flats for Mrs Turner-Cottier, 83 Kent Terrace, Te Aro.^[7]
• Kilbirnie Wesleyan Church, Waitoa Road, Hataitai.^[8]
• Lampard Flats, 284–286 Cuba Street, Te Aro.^[3]
• Plumbers Building, 122–124 Wakefield Street, Te Aro.^[3]
• Rosco Tearooms, 2–6 Coleman Place, Palmerston North.^[9]
• St Christopher's Church, 27 Ventnor Street, Seatoun.^[3]
• Ward Memorial Methodist Church and Hall, 69 Northland Road, Northland.^[3]
• Wellington Trades' Hall Building, 124–128 Vivian Street, Te Aro.^[3]

He also supervised the restoration of Antrim House in Wellington following a fire in 1940.^[10]

Fielding was admitted LRIBA in 1913, and elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1915.^[2] He served as chairman of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.^[11]

A member of the Hataitai Bowling Club,^[2] Fielding represented New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, and competed in the singles, pairs, and fours.^[12] He won the silver medal with his partner Peter McWhannell in the pairs event, and In the singles competition he won the bronze medal.^[12] The foursome of Fielding, McWhannell, Edward Leach, and Harold Frost finished fifth.^[13]

Fielding died on 26 July 1946, and his funeral was held at the Congregational Church in Cambridge Terrace, Wellington, which he had designed.^[11] He was buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington.^[14]