HARBOR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3436, 30 January 1912, Page 5

HARBOR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

TWENTY-FIVE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED.

FOR ENGINEER-SECRETARYSHIP.

BOARD TO INTERVIEW ADE-

LAIDE ENGINEER.

Twenty-five applications, the majority being from Australia, were reoerpd by the Gisborne Harbor Board yesterday for the position of engineer-secret tary to the Board. After discussion it was decided to communicate with Mr- J. A. MacDonald, M.1.C.E., Adelaide, asking him to come to Gisborne to interview the Board.

Applications for the position were sent in by the following:— T. C. Pattison (Newcastle). J. A. MacDonald, M-I.C.E. (Adelaide). Horace Gilbert (Sydney). Jas. Hope (Yass. New South Wales). G. B- Atkinson (Sydney). Douglas Dobson '(Westport). Oliver .1. Collis (Victoria). Harry Bennett (Fremantle). H, A. Blomfield (New South Wales.) J. Fisher (Darlinghurst). Samuel Jickell (Palmerston North). J. F. Noble Anderson (Victoria). C. A. La Roche (Oamaru). ■John’ W. McLaren (Scotland). T- H. Kirkpatrick (New South Wales).

F. H. Toogood (Hokitika). T. W. Allan (Port Adelaide). Montague Smith (New South Wales). Arthur Bell (Auckland). F. E. Powell (Auckland). J. S. McAven (Limestone Island). H- Burmeistcr (New South Wales). G. H. Royce (Sydney). E- D. Cachemaille (Wellington). W. T. Mansfield (Wanganui). Mr. F. E. Powell withdrew his application.

The Board reduced the applications to ten on going through them the first time, then to six, and eventually to three—Messrs. MacDonald, Toogood, and Blomfield. It was then decided to ask Mac Don aid to interview the BoardThe chairman said he would call a special meeting of the Board when Mr. MacDonald arrived. Mr. MacDonald had a course of civil and mechanical engineering at King’s College, London, from 1873 to 1875, and during the following three years was articled to Messrs. Jessop and Appleby Bros., of Leicester and London, working in their fitting, turning, pattern-making, and erecting shops and drawing offices- In 1879 he was engaged by Mr. Bennett, Engineer-in-Chief N.S.W. as assistant, and in 1889 was appointed engineer for bridges for the colony. In 1893 he resigned and went to the United States for six months to study American systems. The same year he was appointed assistant engineer at Perth, West Australia, under the late Mr. C. Y- O’Connor, and had one thousand men and three large dredges under his supervision. In 1897 he was appointed engineer—in-chief for the colonv of Western Australia, and in the following year was made deputy-engineer-in-chief during Mu C. Y. O’Connor’s absence in England. From 1903 to 1905 he was deputy town engineer at Johannesburg, and in 190 S he resigned the position owing to his wife’s health, and returned to "Western Australia, and took up land. He has very high testimonials from Mr- C. Y. O’Connor and others.