James Henry La Trobe [also known as James Henry La Trobe] was born in Bristol Gloucestershire England on 13 January 1862. He was articled to John Henry Hirst (1825?-1882) in Bristol from 1878 to 1882 and remained with him for a further year as his assistant. He was also an assistant to Joseph Foster (?-1888) in Bristol in 1883. He commenced independent practice in Bristol in 1884 in partnership with Foster. From 1895 he was in partnership with Thomas Henry Weston (1870-?).
La Trobe passed his qualifying exam as an architect in 1886 and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) later that year and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1893. His address was given as 6 Clare Street, Bristol in 1886; 20 Clare Street, Bristol in 1893 and 1898; 1 Unity Street, Bristol; and 64 Cotham Street, Bristol in 1914 and 1921. He died at this address on 30 December 1921
Bristol Cottage Homes; Bristol Pupil Teachers' Centre; Air Balloon Hill Council School: throe other Council schools; Fortts Restaurant, Clifton; branches for the Bristol Co-operative Society; premises for Lloyd's Bank Ltd.; Totterdown Y.M.C.A. and other institutes; the Army Clothing Factory, Easton, and other factories; Tuffley Housing Scheme, Gloucester
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001