All of the six houses are of the same design, with two of them (189 and 193) constructed in reverse.
Great-granddaughter of Robert Lamb, Eleanor Holmes, believes the houses were built in groups of three after his death in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Three of them (185, 189 and 193) have decorative scroll features on their gables, lending credibility that they were built in groups of three.
So who was the architect Robert Lamb?
Robert came with high credentials and references from the 'old country', where he had performed the services of architect, engineer, and surveyor.
Upon leaving England in 1879, the Northern Architectural Association gave him a send-off expressing the "loss to the society of one who by his courteous and gentlemanly conduct had gained the esteem of all". They gave him a purse of sovereign coins as a going away present.
His reason for emigrating was his indifferent health. It is highly likely the references to Napier's seaside location (warm climate and brisk sea air) and growing population was the reason he came here.
He would leave a lucrative English architectural practice to do so, and consequently earn less here. Architecture in New Zealand at that stage – despite being the prolific architect he was – was not a pathway to great wealth (some might still say this!).
Robert's arrival in Napier (with wife Mary and as far as I can tell, 10 children) was announced in the Hawke's Bay Herald stating his "advent among us may be regarded as a gain to the community …"
His first notice of business was placed on July 4, 1879, and Robert could be engaged as an architect, surveyor and valuer. He established his office in Emerson St.
One of his first major projects was being the architect in charge of shifting the Pacific Hotel from Havelock North to Hastings in 1880 (demolished 1994).
Despite being very occupied in his business, Robert applied for the position of municipal engineer for Napier Borough Council, and was appointed in 1881, and he would conduct this alongside his architecture practice.
His starting salary was £300 – a decent salary then – but then had it reduced to £100 the following year due to cutbacks due to the Napier Borough Council's dire financial position.
Robert had substantial business as architect for the Hawke's Bay Education Board from 1883 until his death in 1895.
In 1886, he built in Hastings St a two-storey brick building using Ōamaru stone for Ruddock and Fryer, ironmongers, and in 1888 another in the same materials for J W Craig, printer, and stationer.
He publicly defended his use of Ōamaru stone in January 1888 when an article began circulating from Gisborne criticising Ōamaru stone's qualities. Gisborne, not surprisingly, had a quarry (as did Wairoa). Robert stated the Ōamaru stone's texture and colour was superior to those locations and that criticisms that it could not stand up to bad weather were incorrect.
In 1889, Robert released his master plan for Marine Parade from Sale St to Emerson St. Buildings he drew were a coffee palace, private homes, Turkish baths, seawater baths, the Napier Club, church, skating rink and an aquarium. The very ambitious plan would fail for a lack of finance.
Despite his plan for the Marine Parade not going ahead, he had shaped 19th century Napier's central business through the many buildings he had designed. His work also extended to fledgling Hastings.
Any masonry buildings he designed that existed by the time of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake – being unreinforced of that era - were destroyed – such as Kinross White's premises (now the site of the Art Deco Trust).
Numerous private homes were altered or designed by Robert, and many still exist today.
A devout Christian, Robert designed many churches, including St Patrick's church in Napier (destroyed by fire in 1981) and St Columba's church, Havelock North, which was built in 1894 (demolished in 1971, and found to be riddled with borer). Both were designed in the style of Gothic Revival.
Plans for the widening of Emerson St were made by Robert in 1893, and while this looked as if it would occur, it dragged on until 1896, when it was dropped. Emerson St would get its street widening just before the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
Robert would never see the villas we now call Six Sisters – likely one of his last designs - after he died of illness aged 61 in 1895. It was said of him "… his charitable disposition and the deep desire for the social wellbeing of those amongst who he lived were characteristic of the man".
While most of his work is no longer with us, his weatherboard Six Sisters working-class cottages are now a well-known and iconic feature of Napier's Marine Parade and a reminder of this talented architect who shaped the look of early Napier.
Lamb Tce in Onekawa is named for Robert.
The Six Sisters artwork is available for sale from Sophie Blokker at https://www.sophieblokker.co.nz.
Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher and commercial business writer of Hawke's Bay history. Follow him on facebook.com/michaelfowlerhistory
