Clayton Mason
MASON, Clayton Turner, MICE JP ISO (1847-1911)
Clayton Mason was born in Torrington, Hertfordshire on May 25, 1847, the youngest son of estate agent, Charles Adnam Mason and his wife Anne Mason nee Edwards. His elementary education was at Rickmansworth and Hampton Schools and then at King Edward’s School, Birmingham. Following school he was articled to Thomas Waring MICE, at Cardiff in Wales. He then worked in London and undertook an extensive tour of rail facilities in the USA.
In 1874, Clayton Mason came to Australia and worked in the Railway Branch of the Public Works Department, NSW. In 1877 he travelled to Western Australia to take up the role of Superintending Engineer on the Geraldton and Northampton Railway. He also supervised the construction of the Point Moore lighthouse near Geraldton. By 1880 he was the Resident Engineer on the Eastern Railway being constructed from Fremantle to Guildford. He surveyed the alignment of the Guildford to Chidlow’s Well Railway Line in 1881.
On January 3, 1882, Clayton Mason was appointed as Acting Commissioner of Railways during the lengthy absence of J H Thomas in Europe. Following the death of J H Thomas in 1884, Clayton Mason was appointed both acting Commissioner of Railways and Acting Director of Works. He was officially appointed to the Legislative Council on July 18, 1884. By December 1884 he was officially appointed as both Commissioner of Railways and Director of Public Works.
He married Julie Scott on June 10, 1879 at Christ Church, Geraldton, and they had seven children over the next 12 years. He was elected a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers on April 1, 1884. He was amongst the dignitaries for the opening of the Posts and Telegraph Office (later to be known as the Treasury Buildings) in 1890. In 1891 he was appointed to the position of Collector of Customs, a position he held until his retirement through ill health in January 1911.
Clayton Mason died at his home in Cottesloe on October 4, 1911 and was survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. He was a well regarded engineer and public servant, one who played a key role in the development of the rail network in Western Australia.
References:
John Le Page, "Building a State", Water Authority of Western Australia, 1986, Leederville;
West Australian, 9.2.1911, p7;
Inquirer and Commercial News, 16.11.1881, p2;
West Australian, 5.10.1911, p6.
