Ernest Herbert CARLIN
CARLIN, Ernest Herbert MWAIE (1865-1941)
Ernest was born on January 6, 1865, at Kent Town, South Australia, the fourth son of ironmonger Frederick Benjamin Carlin and his wife Sarah Ann Carlin (nee Brooke). His family moved from Adelaide to Port Lincoln around 1868.
His secondary schooling was at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, where he matriculated in 1882. He then undertook articles under an engineering surveyor in Victoria.
On April 2, 1891, Ernest married Pauline Edmondson at Christ Church, Hawthorn, Victoria. They had three children, Ethel Brooke, Cyril Brooke and Edna Brooke.
In July 1891, he and his wife travelled from Adelaide to Western Australia on the steamer “Bullara”.
In October 1894 he was employed as an Engineering Surveyor in the Railways Branch of the Public Works Department (PWD). In 1895 he became the Fremantle Harbours Surveyor and in July 1897 the Resident Engineer for the Fremantle Harbour Works.
Between 1907 and 1911, he was responsible for dredging the channels in Perth Water and reclamation of the Perth foreshore as part of the Swan River Reclamation Works using the dredge “Fremantle”.
By 1915, Ernest was Acting Head Harbours and Rivers Branch in the PWD and was appointed to the that position in 1920. Ernest developed the concept for the interwar expansion of the Geraldton Harbour. He retired from the PWD in 1925, aged 60, due to ill health.
Ernest was active in the WA Institution of Engineers being a Founding Member, Auditor for 1913-14 and a Member of Council between 1914 to 1919.
Ernest died on May 6, 1941, aged 76 years. He was survived by his wife Pauline and their three children.
References:
Adelaide Advertiser, 18.12.1882, p6
The Argus, 27.5.1891, p1
Adelaide Observer, 25.7.1891, p20
WA Public Service Lists 1905, 1920, 1923 and 1925-26
West Australian, 2.5.1907, p3
West Australian, 2.8.1939, p10
West Australian, 8.5.1941, p8
Chris Fitzhardinge, June 2024
