Stanley Newsome
NEWSOME, Stanley Robert, MIEAust (1900-1987)
Stan was born in Enfield, England, on November 19, 1900, the second eldest child of plumber, Samuel Percy Hinton Newsome and his wife Alice Beatrice Newsome (nee Clarke). The first eleven years of his life were spent living in Enfield. The family of six left London, in 1911, to travel to Western Australia. In 1918 another brother was born in Perth.
Stan enrolled at Claremont Continuation School studying subjects such as English, Mathematics and Mechanical Drawing. Continuation Schools were operated by the State and provided education to over 2,000 students in Perth in 1915. They targeted children aged 14 to 18 and were often a precursor to attending institutions such as Perth Technical College.
He joined the Public Works Department on March 1, 1917, initially being employed as a junior clerk but in six months had work as a junior draftsman. By December 1921, he was promoted to draftsman and then engineering draftsman first class in November 1926.
He spent four months in England in 1924 returning to Fremantle on the “Ormonde” on October 14, 1924.
Stan’s employment as an engineer commenced in 1940 with an appointment as Assistant Designing Engineer. From January 1, 1946, he became Engineer Designing. In 1962 he headed up the Design Branch as Engineer in Charge, a position he held until his retirement in 1965.
For much of his career, the Public Works Department and the Metropolitan Water Board had a common design office. Stan was able to play a key role in the design of Canning Dam. Stan was also involved in the design of bulk handling facilities for wheat at Fremantle.
Between the wars, Stan had enlisted in the Australian Army Ordinance Corps, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He enlisted in AIF in 1943 and served in the Home Guard, Fremantle Battalion.
He joined the Institution of Engineers as a Member in 1937 and was an active member of the WA Division being elected Honorary Treasurer in 1947 and Chairman in April 1955.
On November 19, 1927, he married Gladys Nellie Hay at Wesley Church, Perth. They had a daughter, Joy. In 1928, they moved to a house he had built in Elizabeth Street, South Perth.
Stan died on June 21, 1987.
References:
J S H LePage, Building a State, Water Authority of Western Australia, 1986.
Canning Dam project synopses, Oral History, State Library of Western Australia, 1977.
West Australian, 24.1.1916, p. 5.
The Leader (Perth), 25.11.1927, p. 8.
Daily News, 4.4.1955, p. 13.
