James Hassell Liddle

James Hassell Liddle (1908 - 2007)

James Hassell Liddle was born on 19 April 1908, at Wellington, New Zealand. He was the first child of Ernest Alfred Liddle and Maude Florence (née Martelli).

He attended primary school at Terrace School, Napier, New Zealand until 1917, and secondary schooling at Napier Boys High School, with a final year at Wellington College.

His tertiary education was at Victoria College for one year when he transferred to Canterbury College, Christchurch to study engineering. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), at the University of New Zealand in 1929.

Practical work was a requirement of his civil engineering degree and Mr Liddle worked for nine months in the Wellington Tramway Workshops. When he finished his degree, the Depression had already struck many jobs and he worked on a number of road building schemes which the New Zealand government instituted as part of unemployed relief schemes, including a project to review the outlet potential of Lake Ellesmere. He was given three-months’ notice by Public Works and he reconsidered his plans to travel overseas. His mother had remarried and since 1925 lived in Sydney and she encouraged him to come to Sydney to try and find employment.

High unemployment made finding work in Sydney difficult - preference was given to returned soldiers. He applied for jobs in Queensland and Wollongong but never considered working in any other field but engineering.

Through recommendation, he found work ten months later with Noyes Brothers in the city who needed a refrigeration engineer. Aware of his lack of knowledge about this field, Mr Liddle was ambivalent about working with Noyes Bros but started there in November 1932 as Technical Head of the Refrigeration Sales Department.

He later worked with a small firm, Lovelocks, for 3 years. Lovelocks very successful in selling refrigeration accessories. He joined the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers, one of only two or three members outside America. He became an “avid gatherer of knowledge” in this developing field, importing books on the subject.

Following the death of Mr Lovelock, Liddle joined Unit Air Conditioners, set up by Mr Doyle of United Artists. Doyle was keenly interested in the air conditioning business for the growing cinema industry. Mr Liddle travelled to the States to explore the potential for silica gel dehydration system and lived in Cleveland for several weeks. This system proved inappropriate in Sydney but because the name Honeywell appeared frequently in relation equipment, he went to Boston to meet with the company and discussed the idea of setting up an agency in Sydney.

Back in Sydney, Unit Air Conditioners went bankrupt and Mr Liddle established his own business working out of a very small accountant’s office in Martin Place. A. E. Epstein (Fred Epstein – “Eppy”) arrived from Vienna in 1938. Having sold Honeywell equipment in Europe, he introduced himself and they formed Liddle & Epstein, working together on the MLC Building. Mr Epstein’s installation expertise was invaluable.

In 1939 Liddle & Epstein moved offices to the corner of Bridge & Phillip Street, Sydney and then later again to a small office in Macquarie Place. Their business continued to grow and throughout the war they were involved with air conditioning the ADI munitions complex at St Marys. They were also involved with the production of army tanks.

Mr Liddle joined AIRAH (Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating) in 1933, and his involvement developed as the NSW Institute, with a more professional emphasis, and the Victorian Institute, which was more commercial, decided to amalgamate. Liddle went regularly to Melbourne for work and developed links with different people who were involved in the discussions during the early 1940s. Liddle introduced the psychrometric chart into Sydney. In 1947 he became Federal President of the Institute and, with Harry Goldstein, was involved with the launch of the official journal of the Institute. EcoLibrium was later a highly specialised journal for the industry.

In 1957 Liddle & Epstein moved from their offices in Macquarie Place, having purchased a block of land in Macquarie Street, Sydney, and engaged David Snelling to design a building. Liddle & Epstein’s business grew with branches opening in Melbourne (Liddle, Epstein and Warnock), Adelaide (where the Manager was Doug Bell) and Perth. They owned all their premises but those in Perth. One of the significant projects in Perth was the development of the refrigeration process at Swan Brewery. In 1963 Liddle & Epstein sold out their business to Honeywell, who then continued to lease the building for another 15 years. This was a relationship which extended for 25 years from pre-war days.

After retiring from engineering Liddle did some renovations on his home and purchased a farming property on the Hastings River near Scone where he reared cattle, developing innovative calf-branding equipment. He later bought into another business near Windsor involving the sale of alluvial soils on the Nepean River, and an orange orchard.

James Liddle had married Betty and they had four children. He died on 2 November 2007, in his hundredth year. Betty had pre-deceased him. Prepared by Roslyn Burge, November 2003 from oral history interviews conducted on 8.10.2003 and 15.10.2003.

For an oral history interview with James Hassell Liddle please use this link:

https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Oral_Histories_Sydney