James Utting
UTTING, James Horatio, BE BCom FIEAust (1910-1991)
James was born in Moulmein, Burma (now Myanmar) on August 8, 1910, the son of river pilot Captain James Horatio Utting and his wife Elna Utting (nee Haswell).
James completed his secondary education at Christ Church Grammar School, Claremont.
After studies at Perth Technical College, James commenced an engineering degree at the University of Western Australia in 1930. James was President of the University Engineers Club in 1933. He graduated from the five year course in April 1935.
He worked as an engineer at the Town of Northam before becoming Assistant Engineer at the City of Hobart in 1938.
He married Ruth McKinnell on March 3, 1938, at St Andrews Cathedral Sydney.
In May 1943, he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Tasmania.
He enlisted in World War II, serving with the Royal Australian Engineers in New Guinea and the Middle East and rising to the rank of Lieutenant.
On May 13, 1946, he returned to Western Australia to take up the position of Town Clerk/Engineer at the Town of Cottesloe.
He resigned from the Town of Cottesloe and took up an appointment with the Commonwealth Department of Works and Housing based in Darwin in May 1948.
By 1954 he was Principal Engineer on the £1,000,000 upgrading of Pearce Airport, to take jet aircraft, in Western Australia.
On August 7, 1975, he retired from the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Construction.
James joined the Institution of Engineers as a Junior Member in 1939, becoming a Member in 1940. By 1979 he became a Fellow. He was a Member of the Darwin Town Management Board.
James had a younger brother John who was also a civil engineer. A link to John's biography is available here.
James died on January 29, 1991, in England, aged 80. He was survived by his wife Ruth.
References:
West Australian 26.4.1935, p. 20.
West Australian 22.3.1946, p. 6.
West Australian 23.3.1946, p. 12.
West Australian, 11.2.1953, p. 15.
