Alfred Harold Masters
Alfred Harold Masters
Date of Birth 7 November 1875
Place of Residence St John Street Tasmania Australia
Spouses Name Alice Weymouth
Childrens Names Muriel Frances, Florence Thelma, Alma Jean, Alan Ewan & Enid Joyce

Alfred Harold Masters, known by his second name, was born on 7 Nov 1875 at Albury, Victoria. He was the second son of Annie and Rev. Joseph Masters MA (1845-1925) who was successively inspector, director and secretary of education in Tasmania. Harold was one of the first students at the Launceston Technical College when it was housed in the Quadrant. He was a well-known architect, electrician, inventor and amateur photographer with the Northern Tasmanian Camera Club. He began his career with J & T Gunn's architectural department. For a short time he was in partnership with architect Alexander North (1904-1909). AH Masters designed many of Launceston's buildings. Some well-known ones are: 'Fairlawn', Elphin Road (1900); 'Penghana', West Tamar Road (1902); 'Farndreg', High Street (1905); The Examiner offices (1911) and 'Marsden', Elphin Road (1935).

He is credited with being the first person in Northern Tasmania to communicate by a wireless set he made in the late 1890s when he sent a morse code message to a naval vessel down the Tamar River. He was secretary and director of the Launceston Technical School from 1907 to 1915, where he also conducted classes in architecture and electricity. He was a keen worker for Christ Church (Congregational), Frederick Street, being a deacon for many years.

Harold married Alice Weymouth on 29 Nov 1899. They had five children: Muriel, 1900-1979; Thelma, 1902-1960; Jean,1905-1933; Alan, 1907-1977 and Joyce, 1911-2002, who married Edney Forward. The family lived at Trevallyn, then 'Kilgormley' (now 'Pinefield'), Longford, from 1907-22 and at 'Edgecliff', Trevallyn, 1923-51. Harold died aged 76 on 27 Apr 1951 and was cremated. Alice passed away aged 82 on 26 Apr 1956. Alice Weymouth is also pictured in the Family Album. See The Examiner 13 May 2006, p.30.

Peter Forward Sep 2005 & Marion Sargent Aug 2011