Henry Saunders
SAUNDERS, Henry John MICE (1855-1919)
Born in England, at Bradford on Avon, and educated at Clifton College in Bristol and at Crystal Palace School of Engineering in London, Saunders served articles with H. Robinson, Civil Engineer. After election as an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, in 1880, he established his own engineering practice.
Saunders travelled to Western Australia in 1884 where he prepared plans for the Midland Railway from Midland Junction to Walkaway, in conjunction with surveyors, Morrison and Crossland. In 1886 he formed a consulting engineering partnership with James Barrett with whom he prepared plans for a water supply for Perth and Fremantle from a dam on Munday Brook in the Darling Ranges in 1887. Elected a councillor of the City of Perth in 1885, he advocated the construction of a water supply for Perth. Disagreement between the Perth and Fremantle councils delayed a decision on a scheme until 1889 when Perth City Council agreed to negotiate a contract with Neil McNeil and Co., a Melbourne contractor who proposed to use Saunders and Barrett’s scheme which it had bought and amended. Saunders acted as agent for McNeil and supervised some of the early work.
Following the discovery of the Yilgarn Goldfield in January 1888, Saunders was one of the first Western Australian businessmen to promote Western Australian mining companies on the London financial market. In 1888 he was manager of Imperial Western Australian Corp Ltd which was intended to identify new mines with good potential and to launch them with British money. In 1889 he was manager of Frasers Gold Mining Co and of Hope’s Hill Gold Mines Ltd both of which had mines in the Yilgarn Goldfield. He floated the West Australian Goldfields Ltd in November 1893 and Lady Shenton Goldmines Ltd (NCGF Menzies) in January 1985, together with several other companies including the Finance Corporation of Western Australia Ltd, formed to obtain finance from the United Kingdom and Europe. The West Australian Goldfields, of which he was also a director and attorney, in the period 1894 98 was one of the most successful companies in forming and promoting Western Australian mining companies.
1895 Saunders was attorney for Aurora Gold Reefs Development Co. Ltd (BAGF Carnage), Hampton’s Purchase Syndicate (relating to Hampton Plains Estate mainly in CGF and ECGF) and Mawson’s Reward Claim Ltd (DGF at Dundas). In 1897 he was attorney for North White Feather Consolidated GMs Ltd (NECGF Kanowna), Gold Lands Corporation Ltd and Yerilla Claims Ltd (NCGF). Also in 1897 he was chairman of the board of directors of Florence GMs Ltd (NCGF Menzies) and was its managing director until 1909 during which time it produced 8,800 fine oz. At that time he was also a director of Anglo German Exploration Co. of WA Ltd, Mawson’s Reward Claim Ltd, Mount Jackson GMs Ltd (YlGF Mt Jackson) and seven other mining companies.
During the 1890s Saunders was colonial agent for Fraser & Chalmers, the Anglo American mining machinery manufacturer, and also for Hayward Tyler & Co., supplier of pumps and gold recovery equipment. He had retired from most of his business activities by the end of the 1890s and lived in partial retirement at Henley Park, a large estate near Guildford. He also held pastoral leases at Leinster in the East Murchison. He was president of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1901.
Saunders served as a Perth City councillor for ten years until 1895. In 1893 he was elected mayor of Perth and served for two years in this office. He served as a JP and was a member of the Legislative Council representing the Metropolitan Province between July 1894 and May 1902. He was a Commonwealth Senator for Western Australia from May 1903 until December 1903, having been appointed to fill a casual vacancy in the first Commonwealth Parliament. He was again a State MLC for the Metropolitan Province from May 1918 until October 1919 which was shortly before his death.
References:
GG 1888 pp.270, 373, 1889 pp.137, 295, 449, 469, 1890 pp.11, 12, 1897, p.345;
Skinner 1897, 1903, 1909;
JCMWA 1905;
Battye 2, pp.248 49;
John’s p.151;
Kimberly p.42;
Black/Bolton p.174;
Le Page pp.158 59, 274.
Hunt p.6 et al;
DWAE 4, p.1919.
BDWA 4, p.2733
