Ernest Octavius Walker
Ernest Octavius Walker (1850-1919)
1919 Obituary [1]
ERNEST OCTAVIUS WALKER, who died on the 12th February, 1919, was a son of Mr. G. J. Walker, and a grandson of Bishop Corrie of Madras.
He was born at Teignmouth in 1850, and educated at private schools and at the Regent's Park College.
In 1870 he went to the Hartley Institute, Southampton, and he also became a pupil of the late Sir William Preece and was trained for the Indian Telegraph Department, which he joined in 1871.
He remained in India until 1892, and during his service in the Indian Telegraph Department was in charge of the telegraphs of the Lushai Expedition, 1889 to 1890. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the C.I.E.
He retired from India and subsequently, in 1895, became Superintendent of Telegraphs under the Ceylon Government, where he remained until 1899 when he joined the staff of Messrs. Preece & Cardew in Westminster. He was with them until 1912, in charge of much of their telegraph and telephone work for the various Colonial Governments.
At the outbreak of war he placed his services at the disposal of the authorities, and he was employed upon censorship work for some time in London, also in Ireland.
He contributed in 1883 a paper to the Institution on "Earth Currents in India" and on a "Magnetic Storm in India," and in 1888 he was awarded a Fahie premium for a further communication upon "Earth Currents in India" in that year. He also assisted with Science Abstracts and wrote many reviews of books on technical subjects. He was a man of charming personality. Among his colleagues in India and during his work in Westminster he was greatly respected by all. He was always ready to help, and never failed to give a patient hearing and sound advice to anyone in a difficulty. He was interested in many subjects, and in a quiet unobtrusive way did a great deal for the improvement of telegraphs and telephones in India and the Colonies.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1878.