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Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 145, 15 March 1939, Page 10

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Electrical Engineer From Western Australia

To revisit the scenes of his youth, Mr. B. M. Holt, consulting electrical and mechanical engineer, of Perth, Western Australia, arrived iu New Zealand by the Wanganella from Sydney yesterday. Mr. Holt was born in New Zealand and educated in Wellington, being an old boy of Wellington College. He was an engineering apprentice of AV. Crabtree and Sons, a Wellington flrm now defunct, and the late Mr. R. L.. M. Mestayer. In 1905 he left for AVestern Australia, and a year later went to England. After serving in a Newcastle-on-Tyne engineering works for three years and a half, he returned to AVestern Australia, where lie became chief electrical engineer of the State for the tire and accident underwriters. Twelve years ago he established his owu practice.

Mr. Holt visited New Zealand six years ago with his wife, formerly Davina Riggs, 'Wellington, and stated yesterday that be found the hydroelectric schemes, of which there was nothing of the kind in Western Australia, most interesting. There was so little water in Western Australia that most power was generated by steam engines or diesel engines. The main power station, at East Perth, belonged to the Government, and every township had its own station. There were three stations in Kalgoorlie, some of which supplied power to the mines. Much money was to be made by those who obtained concessions for the supply’- of power to towns in Western Australia if they conducted their undertakings properly. Mr. Holt will renew old acquaintances in Wellington before leaving for other parts of the country, including Arapuni.