John Muir
MUIR, John Andrew, AMICE (1857-1915)
John Andrew Muir was born at Fiery Creek Diggings in Victoria on March 13, 1857, the son of Victorian gold miner and farmer, David Muir and his wife Agnes Muir (nee Anderson). He was educated at Ballarat Grammar School and Scotch College, Ballarat. He then went to Melbourne and studied under the private tuition of Arnold Lily BA for two years. At the age of 18, he joined the Victorian Railways, achieving the position of Assistant Engineer in 1878. Muir married Mary Groomsbride Hollis in Maffra, Victoria on October 15, 1885, and they had one son and two daughters.
His experience in rail construction and rail surveying led to him being provided to the Western Australian Government in October 1891 as a rail expert for the Darling Range Railway. He returned to Victoria and then in August 1894 received a permanent appointment as Inspector of Railway Surveys in Western Australia.
In 1901 he completed the preliminary survey of the Transcontinental Railway Line.
John Muir was a foundation member and inaugural councillor with the WA Institution of Engineers in 1910. He retired in 1913 aged 56. He died on March 29, 1915 at Perth, being survived by his wife and three children.
John Muir was also a competent design engineer and provided C Y O’Connor with designs and estimates for a bridge over the Narrows, a rail connection through South Perth to Fremantle, railway subways for the City of Perth, and high level bridges across the Swan Estuary.
His published reports include:
- "Proposed railway Coolgardie to Norseman", V&P WA 1899 44;
- "Proposed railway Northam to Goomalling", V&P WA 1899 46;
- "Proposed railway Menzies to Leonora", V&P WA 1899, 43; and
- "Proposed railway Coolgardie to Bonnie Vale", V&P WA, 45.
J A Muir’s contribution to Western Australia was his recruitment of capable engineers and surveyors to support the massive expansion of the rail network. In his time of Inspector of Railway Surveys he was involved in the survey and construction of over 4,000 kilometres of rail, much of it in very harsh country.
References:
J. S. Battye (ed), Cyclopedia of Western Australia, vol 1 (Adel, 1912);
West Australian, 16.10.1913, p10:
West Australian, 31.3.1915, p8.'
