Edward Clarke Buck
Edward Clarke Buck (1873-1950)
1952 Obituary [1]
"EDWARD CLARKE BUCK, who was educated at Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon, had a varied professional career, his many-sided activities taking him to several parts of the world, including Australia, South Africa, Trinidad and British Guiana.
His technical training was obtained privately in London and at Melbourne University, where he qualified as a civil engineer. After a brief term of pupilage with Mr. William Baird at Ballarat, Victoria, for whom he also acted as assistant in connection with various schemes, he became, in 1895, an assistant engineer in the Public Works Department at Perth, Western Australia. Subsequently he went to South Africa and was employed on the Cape Government Railways until 1899, when, on the outbreak of war with the Boers he obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers and rose to the rank of captain.
In 1902 he became assistant to the city engineer of Pretoria and subsequently he was made deputy town engineer finally becoming waterworks and principal engineer. During the above periods he was responsible for much important work, including a new water supply, the construction of a steel bridge, and the erection of three pumping stations. After a brief engagement as engineer to the Audible Signal Co, London, he was back again in South Africa, acting as special inspecting engineer for the Victoria Falls and Power Company, Ltd., and the Rand Mines. His next task was that of consulting engineer, in London, for the oil-fields of Trinidad. This was followed in 1913 by his appointment as colonial civil engineer and later as director of public works at Georgetown, British Guiana. After holding this position for seven years he went into practice as a consulting engineer at Port of Spain, Trinidad, and continued in this work until his retirement from the profession in 1939.
Mr. Buck, who rendered valuable services to the Institution as Honorary Corresponding Member for the West Indies and British Guiana over a term of years, was elected to Associate Membership in 1904 and transferred to Membership in 1910. He was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and amongst other affiliations was a Fellow of the Royal Sanitary Institute. For many years he was a Justice of the Peace for Trinidad, Tobago and British Guiana and governing director of the British Engineering Manufacturers' Alliance, Ltd., Port of Spain. His death occurred on 20th November 1950 in his seventy-seventh year.