William Snell Chauncy
Encyclopedia
William Snell Chauncy was an English civil engineer responsible for a number of important engineering works including the first steam railway opened in Australia.
on 7 July 1840. Chauncy initially worked with architect and surveyor, William Mullinger Higgins, on the design of a new grandstand for Ascot Race Course.
In 1840 Chauncy and Anna migrated to Australia on the ship the Appoline arriving on 22 November in Port Adelaide
where they had family, including a half-brother Philip who as assistant surveyor of Western Australia, may have been in a position to recommend Chauncy for engineering work.
The Australian venture was short lived and Chauncy set off back to England in 1844 via South Africa, but the birth of their second child Sophia Mary on board ship, caused him to delay at the Cape of Good Hope, where he obtained work supervising the construction of 300 miles of roads and several bridges. By 1846 he had moved to Ireland and was assistant engineer of roads in County Mayo
. The family, however, stayed in West London. In about 1848, William was appointed assistant engineer on the London to Dover Railway, under William Cubitt
.
in the same year. The South Australian Railway Committee had commissioned W.S. Chauncy to report on a possible railway line from from Adelaide, north to the copper mining town of Burra
, but by the time he had completed about 84 miles of the survey, a more effective route through Port Wakefield had supplanted the northern line. However, he completed surveying the Adelaide to Port Adelaide Railway line and in 1851 surveyed a road for the Central Board of Main Roads from Hahndorf, South Australia
to Wellington Ferry on the Murray River
, which although officially named the South Eastern Road, is generally known as Chauncys Line.
boom had created new opportunities and by 1853 the family was residing at Sandridge near Melbourne. William was appointed as chief engineer of the Hobson's Bay Railway company
in Melbourne, Australia preparing designs and supervising contracts for the first steam railway to operate in Australia in 1854. However, he resigned the engineership of the line under a cloud as the work he had carried out on the railway pier had proven useless. He was replaced by James Moore
.
Chauncy also gave evidence to the select committee inquiring on the railway gauge in 1853 and the inquiry into roads and railways in 1854.
Around this time Chauncy also wrote another pamphlet How to Settle in Victoria using the pen name 'Rusticus'.
between Wodonga and Albury, New South Wales
. His sixteen year old daughter, Sophia had the honour of cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony.
In 1868 Chauncy was appointed road superintendent at Goulburn, New South Wales
with one of his responsibilities being improvements to the main Sydney to Melbourne Road (now the Hume Highway). He died in 1878 of gastric fever. Chauncy had evidently been very popular with his fellow officers, contractors and workman who erected a befitting monument to his honour at Goulburn Cemetery.
Early life and work
William Snell Chauncy was born in Addlestone, Chertsey, Surrey, England in 1820. He married Anna Cox at St Michael & All Angels church, Sunninghill, BerkshireSunninghill, Berkshire
Sunninghill is a village in the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English shire county of Berkshire-Location:...
on 7 July 1840. Chauncy initially worked with architect and surveyor, William Mullinger Higgins, on the design of a new grandstand for Ascot Race Course.
In 1840 Chauncy and Anna migrated to Australia on the ship the Appoline arriving on 22 November in Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
where they had family, including a half-brother Philip who as assistant surveyor of Western Australia, may have been in a position to recommend Chauncy for engineering work.
The Australian venture was short lived and Chauncy set off back to England in 1844 via South Africa, but the birth of their second child Sophia Mary on board ship, caused him to delay at the Cape of Good Hope, where he obtained work supervising the construction of 300 miles of roads and several bridges. By 1846 he had moved to Ireland and was assistant engineer of roads in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. The family, however, stayed in West London. In about 1848, William was appointed assistant engineer on the London to Dover Railway, under William Cubitt
William Cubitt
Sir William Cubitt was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type of windmill sail and the prison treadwheel, and was employed as chief engineer, at Ransomes of Ipswich,...
.
Return to Australia
In 1849 William wrote a pamphlet for prospective emigrants to Australia, evidently based on his personal experience. Possibly connected to this was his return to Adelaide on the Duke of WellingtonDuke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
in the same year. The South Australian Railway Committee had commissioned W.S. Chauncy to report on a possible railway line from from Adelaide, north to the copper mining town of Burra
Burra
West Burra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is connected by bridge to East Burra. With an area of , it is the eleventh largest of the Shetland Islands.-Geography:...
, but by the time he had completed about 84 miles of the survey, a more effective route through Port Wakefield had supplanted the northern line. However, he completed surveying the Adelaide to Port Adelaide Railway line and in 1851 surveyed a road for the Central Board of Main Roads from Hahndorf, South Australia
Hahndorf, South Australia
Hahndorf is a small town about 30 minutes drive out of Adelaide, South Australia along the South Eastern Freeway . The town was settled by Lutheran migrants largely from in and around a small village then named "Kay" in Prussia, many of whom were aboard the Zebra...
to Wellington Ferry on the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, which although officially named the South Eastern Road, is generally known as Chauncys Line.
First Australian railway
In about 1851 he moved to Victoria where a gold rushGold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
boom had created new opportunities and by 1853 the family was residing at Sandridge near Melbourne. William was appointed as chief engineer of the Hobson's Bay Railway company
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia's first railway broad gauge line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge...
in Melbourne, Australia preparing designs and supervising contracts for the first steam railway to operate in Australia in 1854. However, he resigned the engineership of the line under a cloud as the work he had carried out on the railway pier had proven useless. He was replaced by James Moore
James Moore (engineer)
James Moore was an engineer responsible for the first steam railway to operate in Australia.James Moore C.E. was a nephew of Sir William Cubitt, under whom he was engaged on the South Eastern and Great Northern railways in Britain, and presumably learnt his trade there...
.
Chauncy also gave evidence to the select committee inquiring on the railway gauge in 1853 and the inquiry into roads and railways in 1854.
Around this time Chauncy also wrote another pamphlet How to Settle in Victoria using the pen name 'Rusticus'.
Move to New South Wales
In 1856 William took up a position as district surveyor in Belvoir in north east Victoria (Belvoir was later changed to Wodonga). His work appears to have involved crown land surveys, including Belvoir itself, and other towns and parishes In 1861 he supervised the erection of the first road bridge over the Murray RiverMurray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
between Wodonga and Albury, New South Wales
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
. His sixteen year old daughter, Sophia had the honour of cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony.
In 1868 Chauncy was appointed road superintendent at Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
with one of his responsibilities being improvements to the main Sydney to Melbourne Road (now the Hume Highway). He died in 1878 of gastric fever. Chauncy had evidently been very popular with his fellow officers, contractors and workman who erected a befitting monument to his honour at Goulburn Cemetery.