Austin, William Augustus | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

AUSTIN, William Augustus (1829-1896) was born in Quebec City on 11 May 1829 and was active in Ottawa from May 1858 until June 1861 as a member of the firm of W.A. Austin & Co., Engineers, Architects, Builders & Contractors (Ottawa Tribune, 22 May 1858, 1, advert.). In late 1860 he was appointed Secretary for the newly formed Association of Provincial Land Surveyors and Institute of Civil Engineers & Architects of Canada (Ottawa Tribune, 2 Feb. 1861, 3, advert.). From 1862 onward he devoted his career to that of civil engineering and land surveying until 1 June 1883 when he accepted the appointment of Chief Surveyor and Draftsman in the Technical Branch of the Dept. of Indian Affairs. It was in this capacity that he prepared plans for several buildings situated on Indian Reserves across Canada. He died in Ottawa on 27 December 1896. The Technical Services Branch of the Dept. of Indian & Northern Affairs holds a collection of drawings by Austin prepared between 1886 and 1896. Another collection of his signed drawings, dating from 1858 and illustrating several pre-existing buildings in Ottawa, are held at the National Archives of Canada, NMC H3/450 (obituary in the Evening Journal [Ottawa], 28 Dec. 1896, 1; inf. from Dana Johnson, Parks Canada, Ottawa).

COW BAY, Halifax Co., N.S., school house, 1886 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 39)
NEW GERMANY, Lunenburg Co., N.S., school house, 1886 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 39)
MANIWAKI, QUE., Indian School, 1887 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 40)
ALERT BAY, B.C., agent's house on the Indian Reserve, 1887 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 38)
KOOTENAY, B.C., School and refectory, 1888 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 36)
ELKHORN, MAN., school, girl's home, boy's home and refectory, 1888 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 35)
TOBIQUE POINT, N.B., Indian Council House, 1889 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 32)
MARIA RESERVE, school house, 1890 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 45)
MISSISSAUGA RESERVE, school house, 1891 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 34)
SOUTHAMPTON, ONT., Wesley Centenary Church on the Saugeen Reservation, 1891 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 83)
GRAND RAPIDS, MAN., school house, 1893 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 28)
EASTERVILLE, MAN., school house on the Chemawawin Reserve, 1893 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 28)
PAS MOUNTAIN, MAN., school house, 1893 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 28)
BIG EDDY RESERVE, MAN., school house, 1893 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 28)
ASSINIBOIA, SASK., school at Moose Mountain, 1896 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs, File 42)