Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 - 1889), Saturday 11 September 1880, page 230


THE LATE MR. THOS. HIGINBOTHAM, ENGINEERIN-CHIEF OF THE VICTORIAN RAILWAYS. In another column we give an account of the sudden and unexpected death of Mr. Higinbotham. We subjoin the following notice of the events of his life : — Mr. Higinbotham was a native of Dublin. He learned the rudiments of his profession in the Royal Dublin Society House, and about the year 1838-9 he went to London, and entered the office of Sir Wm. Cubitt. Subsequently he was appointed as assistant-engineer of the South-Enstern Railway, between Dover and Canterbury. Afterwards Sir Wm. Cubitt, who was advising engineer to the Great Northern Railway Company, had him appointed as resident engineer of that railway, and he superintended the construction of the line to Huntingdon. In 1853 his brother came out to this colony, and he followed him in 1857. At first he took an oflice in Temple-court, and practised his profession in the ordinary way. In January, '1858, he was appointed by Captain Clarke as inspector-general of roads for the colony. Under the supervision of the then engineer-in-chief (Mr. Darbyshire), the contracts for the lines to Sandhurst and Ballarat were let. Some difference then occurred between Mr. Darbyshire and the Government of the day, the result of which was that the former left and Mr. Higinbotham was in May, I860, appointed aa his successor, and carried out the lines referred to. All our lineB of railway constructed since then up to 1878 were built under the direction and supervision of Mr. Higinbotham, the value of whose ability and services became more and more apparent aa time rolled on. Under his rdyirne the coat of constructing railways was reduced to less than £5,000 per mile. Hepluyedaprominentpartintheinquiry held over theMalmsbury reservoir, and, as will be remembered, when the breakdown in that undertaking predicted by Mr. Higinbotham occurred, Messrs. Christopheraon, Shakspeare, and John Woods were dismissed. In 1871, when Mr. Longmore was Minister of Railways, a strenuous effort was made to break the gauge of our railways. Mr. Higinbotham almost single-handed opposed this, and contended that all our railways Bhould be made on the same gauge. He carried his point, and afterwards received the thanks of all pnrties. In 1874, he left the colony for the purpose of inspecting the British, Continental, and American railways, and on returning, after two years' absence, he presented a valuable report on the construction of light and cheap linea. Mr. John Woods having attained to office as Minister of Railways for the Berry Government, Mr. Higinbotham was, on the 8th January, 1878, dismissed —in fact, found himself one of the Black Wednesday victims. His dismissal was, indeed, tho moat sensational event of the day, for it came with a shock upon the community at large. In May, 1880, the Service Ministry having come into power restored Mr. Iliginbotham to his former position, and his reinatatemeiit not only gave almoat universal satisfaction, but it was believed that no future Government would ever disturb it. Mr. Patterson, the present Minister of Rnihvays, states that it was not the intention of tho present Government to remove Mr. nijjinbothmn ; that tho only time Mr. Iliginbotham'a case came before the Cabinet waa when Mr. Ford's rouppointment was reBolved upon, and that then the expression of feeling on the part of the Government wna in favour of tho decensed.