POWER BOARD ENGINEER.

Shannon News, 2 May 1922, Page 3

POWER BOARD ENGINEER.

MR OVERTON’S CAREER*,,

The Horowhenua Electric-Power Board spent two hours in committee at Levin last week, discussing the appointment. of a resident engineer to the Board. Over forty applications were received lor the position, and these were reduced to three by a subcommittee. These gentlemen were asked to wait on the Board for a personal interview. This took place, and, as stated yesterday, Mr T. R. Overton, M.1.E.E., was appointed engineer to the Board.

The position carries with it a salary of £IOOO a year, and is amongst the highest-salaried positions of its class in the Dominion.

Mr Overton is a New Zealander by birth, 36 years of age, and is at present Engineer to the Central Electric Power Board, which centres in Hamilton and controls most of the Waikato. He commenced his training in the New Zealand Railway Department (mechanical engineering branch) in 1900, serving in , the railway workshops at Hillside, Dunedin, till 1906, when he was appointed draughtsman to the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board. In 1907 he went into a private civil engineer’s office, and a year later became draughtsman in the City Electrical Engineer’s office in Dunedin. He was employed on plans and specifications for the hydro-elec-tric power-house at Waipari Falls, also the transmission and distributing systems. After holding different positions he became Engineer-in-charge of the distribution and consumers’ department in Dunedin, a position h.p held until joining the Expeditionary Forces in 1915. He was 15 months with the Pioneer Battalion, being in charge of their most important engineering work. After a brief period in hospital with gas and wound, he was posted to the New Zealand Railway Engineers as Mechanical and Electrical Superintendent, and subsequently succeeded in obtaining the position of principal assistant engineer with full responsibilities for the electrical machinery in the whole of the Second Army Light Railway system. At the conclusion of hostilities, Mr Overton took the opportunity of seeing everything possible in regard to electrical undertakings in England and France. On returning home he rejoined the City Electrical Engineer’s staff in Dunedin as Assistant. Engineer. In 1920 Mr Overton was appointed Electrical Engineer to the Central Electric Power Board, covering the greater part of the Waikato, and be has planned and carried out that Board’s system from the inception. In 1921 he was admitted a member of the Institutipn of Electrical Engineers, London, a rank only enjoyed by seven other electrical engineers in New Zealand. Mr Overton possesses high credentials, and his personality strongly impressed the Board.