Photo of Plaque B30: This plaque honours Mr William Hedges
Position
Member Centenary Committee
Committee group
Manufactures and commerce; Agriculture and pastoral industry, mining, forest and marine products
Year of death
1936
Plaque number
FB30
Dedicated by
Kings Park Board on 29 September 1929
More information

Biography abstract:

William Noah Hedges (16/7/1856 - 21/11/1935) was born in Hertfordshire, England, trained as an engineer and came to Australia in 1878.

He worked in Queensland initially and then in 1881 went to South Australia, working mainly on railways.

He used an unusual technique for building railway embankments, using a spindly wooden frame construction to carry the track, trains pulling soil-laden trucks stopped on the frame and tipped their loads over the sides.

As a resident in Mt Barker (SA), he served on the local council and was made life member of the Mt Barker Agricultural Society.

Mr Hedges came to Western Australia in 1893 where he secured a number of public works contracts including the Donnybrook to Bridgetown railway.

He purchased a controlling interest in the WA Goldfields Firewood Supply Company.

He won the Federal seat of Fremantle in 1906. Other interests included the WA Turf Club and Kalgoorlie Racing Club.

Mr William Hedges was a member of the Western Australian Centenary Committee (Manufactures and commerce; and Agriculture and pastoral industry, mining, forest and marine products groups) in 1929.

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