William Evans
EVANS, William Dynan Jervoise, JP CAFOD (1874-1948)
William Dynan Jervoise Evans was born in Logan Village in Queensland on November 29, 1874. He was the son of John William Haines Evans and Mary Ann Evans (nee Ambrose). He was educated at Christian Brothers College, Brisbane. On leaving school he took up a cadetship in surveying with the Surveyor General of Queensland as well as studying engineering at the Brisbane Technical College.
In February 1904, after fourteen years with the Surveyor General in Queensland, Evans joined the Western Australian Lands and Surveys Department as a draughtsman. On January 26, 1905 he was appointed Town Clerk and Engineer for the municipality of North Fremantle. He held these positions until he resigned through ill health in 1912. After a short time as Town Clerk of the Bayswater Roads Board he was appointed Town Clerk of Cottesloe on the April 21, 1914.
On March 10, 1889 he had married Jessie Maud Trevethan in Queensland.
On September 30, 1914 he enlisted in the Australian Army, having previously served in the Boer War. He was on the first convoy from Australia, travelling on the AMAT Militiades. He served at Gallipoli and in France. He was promoted to Captain on January 19, 1915 and Major on March 26, 1916. He was Mentioned in Dispatches.
Returning to Australia he was appointed Deputy War Service Homes Commissioner for New South Wales, but resigned in 1919 over failure for the Commission to accept a donation of land.
In 1929 he was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration.
He died on July 5, 1948 in Bellevue Hill. NSW.
William Evans was a founding member of the WA Institution of Engineers and was active in many athletic and sporting groups including being a founding member and Secretary of the Queensland Amateur Athletics Association.
References:
J. S. Battye (ed), Cyclopedia of Western Australia, vol 1 (Adel, 1912)
Daily News, 5.12.1917, p. 7.
