Cecil West Darley
Cecil West Darley (1842-1928)
1929 Obituary [1]
CECIL WEST DARLEY, I.S.O., the fourth son of Henry Darley, of Bray, Co. Wicklow, was born on the 20th October, 1842.
He was educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man; and in 1858 he joined the S.S. “Orwell” as a midshipman, serving for 2 years at sea. He then entered upon a 3-year pupilage under Mr. W. R. Le Fanu, M. Inst. C.E., and was engaged upon the survey and construction of the Nenagh-Cloughjordan railway in Ireland, and upon railways in Wales.
In 1867 he joined the Harbours and Rivers Department of New South Wales under Mr. E. O. Moriarty, M.Inst.C.E. He was Resident Engineer of Newcastle Harbour Works and was engaged upon wharves, breakwaters, coal-staithes, cranes, hydraulic apparatus, and river and bridge work. He laid out, and directed the preparation of the contract plans for, a water-supply scheme for Newcastle and other towns in the Hunter River district.
He was subsequently appointed Engineer-in-Chief for Harbours and Rivers, New South Wales, and in that capacity completed the water-supply scheme of Sydney, and carried out supplies for other towns.
He was promoted in 1896 to the position of Engineer-in- Chief of all public works except railways, and for some years was President of the Sydney Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
In 1901 he was appointed Inspecting Engineer under t,he New South Wales Government in London, which position he held until his retirement in 1907. His 40 years of meritorious service was recognized by conferment of the Imperial Service Order.
He was elected an Associate of The Institution in 1873, and transferred to the class of Members in 1879. He was elected a Member of Council in 1901, and served as the Australian representative Member on that body until 1904. He presented to The Institution communications on "Dredging in New South Wales," and "Steam-Turbine Driven Centrifugal Pumps for High Lifts."
He married in 1877 Rosanne, daughter of Mr. E. C. Close, of Morpeth, N.S.W., and became a widower in the following year.
In 1885 he married Leila, daughter of the Hon. Alexander Campbell, of Sydney, N.S.W., by whom he had two sons and a daughter.
He died, as the result of an accident, on the l8th October, 1928, in London. At the time of his death he was interesting himself in horticultural pursuits.