Sir John Parker
PARKER, John Edward, KB BCE(Hons) HonFIEAust (1904-1985)
John was born on September 28, 1904 at Orbost, Victoria, the second son of miner and contractor Matthew Parker and his wife Edith Florence Parker nee Long. He was educated at Orbost Higher Elementary School and Wesley College. He gained an exhibition in Mathematics for his Leaving Certificate at Wesley in 1920. He was one of 40 students across Victoria to win a senior scholarship. He enrolled in Engineering at Melbourne University residing at Queens College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with honours in 1927.
John’s father, Matthew Parker, was involved with building timber bridges and telephone lines and later became a roads inspector. Between 1926 and 1929, John was employed by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and then the Country Roads Board. He moved to Western Australia in 1930, when he was appointed to a post as Assistant District Engineer in the Main Roads Department. In 1935 he accepted an appointment with the Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department and in 1941 he was promoted to Engineer, 1st class.
On April 18, 1932 at St Paul’s Church, Harvey, John married Winifred Mary “Topsy” Becher, the daughter of pioneering fruit grower Francis Joseph Becher. John and Topsy had three children including the prominent scientist, Alan James Parker.
Commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1940, John Parker served full time in the CMF from 17 December 1941, then in the Australian Imperial Force from September 1, 1942. Promoted to Captain in July 1943, and Major in August 1944, he commanded the 21st Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, in Papua (1944) and Borneo (1945) and transferred to the Reserve of Officers in January 1946.
Resuming his pre-war post, in 1949 he became Principal Assistant Engineer (Construction) with the Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department. In October 1953, he was promoted to Assistant Director of Works in the Public Works Department and Chairman of the WA Irrigation Commission.
In 1962 he was appointed Chief Engineer (a title that became Director of Engineering) of the Public Works Department, a position he held until 1969. John also chaired the North West Planning Authority, a body made necessary by the dramatic expansion of the north of the State. He was also a Member of the CSIRO WA Advisory Committee. He was a Member of the University of Western Australia Senate from 1967 to 1969.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography states “Managing the upgrading and development of the ports of Esperance, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Broome, Derby and Wyndham, he also made significant contributions to the building of water-storage dams. In 1969-71 he helped to launch mining ventures at Goldsworthy, Mount Newman, Robe River and Leslie and major resource projects of Western Mining Corporation Ltd and Alcoa of Australia Ltd.
When Parker formally retired in 1969, the Minister for Works and Water Supplies, (Sir) Ross Hutchinson, said that he had played an important role in the development of the State, welding together private enterprise and government in huge projects. Parker retained part-time roles as Co-ordinator of Development and Chairman of the North-West Planning and Coordinating Authority; he was also Chairman (1969-74) of the State Electricity Commission. He worked closely with Sir Charles Court in his various ministerial positions and as Premier to develop the North-West, including the Ord River Scheme."
He was Knighted on January 1, 1975. He joined the Institution of Engineers as an Associate Member in 1935 and became a Fellow in 1966. He was made and Honorary Fellow in 1980.
Sir John was a keen golfer being Captain of the Royal Perth Golf Club (RPGC) from 1948 to 1952, President of the WA Golf Association in 1953-54, RPGC President in 1956-57 and made a Life Member of the RPGC in 1959. He also enjoyed gardening at his South Perth home and fishing.
Survived by his wife and their younger son and daughter, Sir John died on 25 January 1985 at Subiaco and was cremated.
References
Ballarat Star, 14.2.1921, p6
Argus, 11.4.1927, p12
Francis Joseph Becher (1873 – 1947) – Harvey History Online, accessed February 4, 2021
J S H Le Page, Building a State, Water Authority, Leederville, 1986
Margaret A Sacks (editor), The WAY 70 - Who is Who, Crawley Publishers, Nedlands, 1980
Donald W. Watts, Parker, Sir John Edward (1904–1985), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian
National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/parker-sir-john-edward-15089/text26290
West Australian, 17.10.1953, p8
Phillip Pendal, Royal Perth – A History of Golf in Australia’s West 1895 to 2008, Victor Publishing, Inglewood, 2008
