Edmond Gleeson
GLEESON, Edmond (or Edmund) Francis Gerald BCE MILGEA JP (1870-1916)
Edmond Gleeson was born in Prahran, Melbourne in 1870 the son of grazier Patrick Gleeson and his wife Ann Gleeson, née Cronin. His father died in an accident in June 1885 and left part of the 3,883 acre Glengleeson property to Edmond. The property was leased for over 25 years and it was not until 1912 that Edmond moved back to the property.
Edmond completed his matriculation at Jesuit College, Kew, in 1886. He then studied engineering at the University of Melbourne, completing the four year Bachelor of Civil Engineering course in 1893.
He worked with Hodgson and Smith under T C Hodgson before coming to Western Australia. On October 1, 1896 he was appointed as a draughtsman with the Public Works Department, having commenced in August 1896. In April 1898 he was appointed the Assistant Resident Engineer, Mundaring Weir, under William Leslie.
On March 1, 1903 he was appointed District Engineer Coolgardie, taking responsibility for the Gilgai to Dedari section of the pipeline which Richard Hartley reported as being “one of the most troublesome sections of the whole pipeline”.
In 1905 he married Bertha Ann Stevenson and between 1907 and 1913 they had four children.
In 1907, 1908 and 1909, Edmond acted as District Engineer Kalgoorlie for extended periods of time.
Late in 1909, with his wife and two children, he moved to Victoria on what was expected to be a long holiday, but Edmond decided to stay and moved to St Kilda where in his son and third child Stanley was born in May 1910. By 1911 he was working as a consulting engineer whilst living at Macarthur, near Port Fairy. In 1912 he was appointed Shire Engineer of Minhamite, a local government with a population of 1,800 adjoining Port Fairy. Also in 1912, Edmond and his brother Leonard took over the Glengleeson property. He was active in civic affairs being the Secretary of the Macarthur Railway League and a Justice of the Peace. He also joined the Institute of Local Government Engineers of Australia. A daughter Lesley was born in 1913.
In 1915 he became unwell and returned to Melbourne. Edmond died on October 13, 1916 at Elsternwick, Melbourne and was survived by his wife and four children, the youngest being just three years old.
References:
P W H Thiel and Co, Twentieth Century Impressions of Western Australia, Perth, 1901
Richard G Hartley, River of Steel, Access Press, 2007
Hamilton Spectator, 15.9.1885, p2
WA Public Service List, 1900
Kalgoorlie Western Argus, 23.6.1908, p34
Coolgardie Miner, 27.10.1909, p3
Port Fairy Gazette, 4.5.1916, p2
Port Fairy Gazette, 16.10.16, p2
