The story
Armson, Collins and Harman was one of the two oldest architectural firms in the country. The practice was founded by Armson in 1870 who was one of the most prolific architects in early Christchurch. Having been articled to Armson as a young architect, J.J. Collins bought the firm after Armson’s death. Four years later, Collins brought Harman (a son of Richard James Strachan Harman) into partnership with him, Harman also having previously articled with Armson. Collins and Harman may have been the first New Zealand-born, educated and trained Christchurch architects.
John Goddard Collins (1886–1973) joined his father’s staff in 1903. In 1928, the firm's name was shortened to Collins and Harman. John Kempthorne Collins (1916–1983), son of J.G. Collins, joined the firm at a later date. Eventually, the name changed to Collins Architects Ltd before closing in 1993.
From Wikipedia’s article on Armson, Collins and Harman, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3