Mr William Ernest Bold
- Position
- Member Centenary Committee
- Committee group
- Historical, arts and science and pageantry
- Year of death
- 1953
- Plaque number
- FB20
- Dedicated by
- Kings Park Board on 29 September 1929
- More information
Biography abstract:
William Ernest Bold (6/5/1873 - 25/11/1953) was born in Lancashire, England and was educated in London, becoming an apprentine electrical engineer in Scotland between 1888-90.
He returned to London and worked as a clerk with an Australian mercantile firm before migrating to Western Australia in 1896.
In Perth, he worked briefly as a merchant and as clerk-typist for the town clerk for the City of Perth. He became acting town clerk in 1900 and appointed town clerk 30 September 1901, the youngest in any Australian capital at the time. He was the longest serving town clerk of the City of Perth from December 1900 to May 1944 and strongly influenced the development of the city of Perth.
He worked closely with T.G. Molloy and R.P. Vincent who between them held the mayoral office from 1908-1912.
On a study tour of Britain and the United States in 1914, Bold gathered ideas about town planning and city administration which he incorporated into the 1915 'City Improvement Plan'.
In 1917, he was instrumental in the Council purchasing Perry's 'limekiln estate' which connected the city with its existing endowment lands extending westwards to the coast and with the help of Harold Boas, architect/town planner, and CH Klem, surveyor, he helped plan the suburbs of Floreat Park and City Beach.
In 1936 the Council set aside about 1000 acres for a park for 'the people of Perth' between Floreat and City Beach Estate but it was not until 1998 that the park was launched officially and named Bold Park in his honour. His name is also incorporated into Reabold Hill along with Mr Frank Rea, a mayor of Perth.
Mr William Bold was a member of the Western Australian Centenary Committee (Historical, arts and science and pageantry group) in 1929.