Robert Martin Livesey
Robert Martin Livesey (1874-1944)
1946 Obituary [1]
ROBERT MARTYN LIVESEY was born in 1874 and received his education at the Londonderry Science and Art School and studied engineering at Glasgow University. He served his apprenticeship in the works of the Donegal Railway and also with Messrs. Neilson, Reid and Company, of Glasgow, in whose employment he continued as junior draughtsman for a brief period.
After filling various temporary appointments he became in 1898 chief mechanical engineer to Messrs. Topham, Jones and Railton and towards the end of that year was transferred as chief assistant engineer to Gibraltar where he was engaged on behalf of the firm on the construction of the new dockyard. Subsequently he was promoted to be chief engineer.
In 1906 he was appointed chief engineer of the Donegal Railway, and in 1913 he presented a valuable and informative paper to the Institution, entitled "Rolling Stock of the Principal Irish Narrow-Gauge Railways". He retained his position with the Donegal Railway until 1922, when he went to India to take up the appointment of engineer and manager of the water supply scheme of the municipality of Bombay, which involved the construction of a pipe line 110 miles long, and in connection with which he showed organizing and technical ability of a very high order, the work being completed in a year less than the contract time.
Five years later he settled in Australia and was engaged in farming for some years, but since 1936 up to the time of his death, which occurred on 28th December 1944 in his seventy-first year, he had acted as designer and consultant to the Swan Portland Cement Company of Perth, W.A.
Mr. Livesey was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1901 and was transferred to Membership in 1903.