James Henry Thomas
THOMAS, James Henry English BE, MICE, JP, MLC (1826-1884)
James Thomas was born in St Marylebone, London on March 2, 1826, the son of picture frame maker and gilder William Claxton Thomas and his wife Ann Thomas nee Cave. He studied at the University College, London and graduated with an engineering degree. His father, William Caxton Thomas, held appointments to both Queen Adelaide and the Duchess of Kent. William Thomas was made a carver and gilder to Queen Victoria in 1837, held an appointment to the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII, and worked extensively for the Crown from around 1840.
James Thomas was articled to Evans and Sons, Mechanical Engineers, and was their superintendent on erecting gun machinery for the Trubia Arsenal in Spain. He returned to England to take up the role of Engineer for the Imperial Gas Company of Vauxhall.
In 1852 he travelled to New South Wales and by 1853 was the Resident Engineer on the Fitzroy Dry Docks in Sydney. In 1857 he became the Inspecting Engineer for the NSW Government Railways, and held positions of Engineer of Existing Lines and Railways and Locomotives Superintendent in that organisation. In 1858 he was supervising the construction of a new wharf at Eden. He was a member of the Philosophical Society of New South Wales and presented a paper in 1856 on “The Iron Making Resources of New South Wales”. In 1859 he authored a report on “The Fitzroy Iron and Coal Mines”.
James Thomas married Maria Byrne at St Phillips Church in Sydney on June 9, 1853.
In May 1876 James and his wife travelled to Western Australia, where James took up the role of Government Engineer. They travelled by the mail steamer “SS Bangalore”, arriving in Albany on May 23, 1876, and then sailed on to Fremantle on the “SS Georgette”, arriving on May 28. James Thomas was back on the “SS Georgette” within a month to travel to Champion Bay to see firsthand the 34 mile Geraldton to Northampton rail line that had commenced construction in 1874, a line that he would see completed in 1879.
Over the next few years James Thomas would have a range of titles added to his Government Engineer role, including Director of Public Works, Commissioner of Railways, Member of Executive Council, Member of the Legislative Council, and Justice of the Peace. He was also a WA Commissioner at the 1878 exhibition in Paris. On January 14, 1879 he was admitted to full membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
An early decision was needed on the alignment and gauge of the railway from Fremantle to link to Perth and Guildford. James Thomas supported the northern alignment rather than one running near to the current location of Canning Bridge and through South Perth. He also recognised the need to have heavy equipment to support the operation of the proposed railways and set up a rail workshop in Fremantle.
James Thomas suffered from indifferent health throughout his time in Australia and previously had returned to England for rest. He died on July 16, 1884 and was survived by his wife Maria.
Thomas was effectively the first Chief Engineer in Western Australia. He was specifically sought out for his broad engineering skills and expertise in railways. His recommendations have shaped the rail network in Western Australia and his organisational capability shaped the development of the Public Works Department, which had a staff of five when Thomas arrived. He strongly recommended reserving future rail alignments from sale and widely publicising plans for future development. He also instituted a system of annual reports on works and finances, a practice that was continued by his successors.
References:
'National Portrait Gallery, British Picture Framemakers, 1600 to 1950, T
John Le Page, "Building a State", Water Authority of western Australia, Leederville, 1986
Graces Guide to British Industrial History, 1885 Obituary for James Henry Thomas
Empire, 7.3.1868, p5
Inquirer and Commercial News, 24.12.1879, p3
News, 17.7.1884, p3
Parliament of Western Australia, Members Biographical Register
