John Elphinstone
ELPHINSTONE, John Thompson, AMIEAust (1871-1944)
John Thompson Elphinstone was born at Rushworth, Victoria, on March 7, 1871. He was the son of teachers John Elphinstone and Mary Elphinstone (nee Brock).
On March 5, 1895 he had married Janet Nicholson in Melbourne.
Elphinstone joined the WA Public Works Department a Draughtsman on October 2, 1896. By July 1903 he was working in the Mines Water Supply Branch as an assistant engineer and had postings at Malcolm and Coolgardie, working under P V O'Brien on the Goldfields Water Supply in 1905. In May 1905 he returned to Perth as a draughtsman. He was then posted to the Murchison working at Cue and Day Dawn.
Elphinstone was at Cue in 1910 when he was elected a foundation associate member of the WA Institution of Engineers. He again became a Draughtsman in the Metropolitan Water Supply Department in 1914, an Engineer in 1922 and the Supervisor of External Construction for this department in 1925.
Elphinstone was caught up in the collapse of the Mount Hawthorn filter beds and was standing under the conduit just before it collapsed. The inquiry found that he was partially to blame for the collapse with his then role of assistant engineer requiring him to ensure satisfactory construction of the works.
He resigned from government service in 1929 being appointed as Secretary and Engineer to the Wagin Road Board early in 1930. He resigned from that position due to ill health in March 1930.
He died on May 16, 1944 at Roleystone, Perth. He was survived by his son, Dr Stuart Elphinstone, his wife having predeceased him in 1936.
References:
West Australian, 10.1.1930, p. 7.
Western Argus, 18.3.1924, p. 14.
MBEJ 11/7/1903, p. 16.
BB 1905.
PSL 1909, 1916.
RSC … Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department, V&P WA 1924, A5.
