Edward Carus Driffield
DRIFFIELD, Edward Carus, (1865-1945)
Edward Carus Driffield, was born in South Australia. He moved to Queenstown in 1894 to take up a position overseeing the construction of the short stretch of rail from the Queenstown Station to the Mt Lyell reduction works. Driffield had experience with two previous railway construction projects on the Mainland.
When the Mount Lyell Railway contractor was experiencing delays Driffield was put in charge to oversee the whole first stage of the Railway from Teepookana to Queenstown. He employed day labour resources to construct the section from Dubbil Barril to Lynchford including the rack section. He established his base at Camp Spur and had individual work crews spread along the route. This method of simultaneous construction saw the overall project completed in 19 months; a significant achievement for the young engineer and the Company.
Driffield was well liked by his colleagues and the works crews; after a period of illness in 1898 (he was an asthmatic) he was presented with an album of photographs along with an award signed by General Manager, Sticht, and a number of his colleagues that read:
“With feelings of very great pleasure we welcome your return to the scene of your successful labours. We have sincerely regretted the serious illness that prostrated you for so many weeks and have anxiously awaited your recovery, over which we rejoice. Our earnest hope is that in resuming your important and onerous duties, you will be blessed with that priceless boon of good health.
It’s a small token of our appreciation of your ever courteous manner and able administration of the affairs of the Department with which we are proud and to be associated we beg that you will accept this Album containing photographic views of the charming and picturesque scenery of the West Coast of Tasmania also pictures illustrative of the progress of the work which you have so admirably directed. Your eye will doubtless rest with gratification on some of the scenes depicted and we trust your recollection of the friends and humble co-workers who helped you to carry out the great undertakings with which you have been so intimately identified will always be the most agreeable nature.
We sincerely trust that you may long continue to live amongst us as our leader and of our continued loyalty and esteem you may always be rest assured.”
He remained with Mt. Lyell for 30 years holding the position of Superintending Engineer of Railways. He retired in 1923 due to ill health but continued as a consulting engineer to the Company.
He met and married Katherine Wroe of Colebrook in 1903 and settled in Queenstown, having a son and a daughter, Vero and Mary (McFarlane). The Driffields were well respected and became active in community and regional affairs. At a Citizens’ Farewell Dinner for the Driffields, The Hon. Andrew Lawson MLC, said:
“…the citizens had. in a large measure, to thank Mr. Driffield for their township, for it was his foresight and ability in originally laying out the thoroughfares and water and sewerage systems that were mainly responsible for its present well-oriented condition. Mr. Driffield was one of the first justices on the field and had in a variety of ways, rendered loyal service to the distinct during the past 30 years. Mrs. Driffield [is to be] considered one of the finest worker in the cause of charity that the community had had and the loss, occasioned by her departure would be one not easily remedied.”
References:
University of Melbourne Archives.
Advocate (Launceston) 27th November 1923.
Biography written 2015, amended July 2022
