The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Mais, Henry Coathupe

1402327The Dictionary of Australasian Biography — Mais, Henry CoathupePhilip Mennell

Mais, Henry Coathupe, M.I.C.E., was born at Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol, and educated at the Bishop's College, being articled to a civil engineer in 1841. Having made a special study of railway construction, he sailed for Sydney in 1850, with machinery to start an engineering and foundry establishment. This scheme, however, was abandoned, and he was appointed acting engineer of the Sydney Railway Company, and in 1851 accepted employment under the City Commissioners, which he resigned in 1856. Two years later he removed to Melbourne, and assisted in the construction of the Melbourne and Sandhurst Railway until 1862, when he became manager of the Melbourne and Suburban Railway. In March 1867 Mr. Mais accepted the position of Engineer-in-Chief of South Australia, and in Jan. 1871 he was appointed, in addition, General Manager of Railways. In 1876, when the work of the position was redistributed, he retained the post of Engineer-in-Chief and Engineer of Railways and Harbours and Jetties. Mr. Mais resigned in April 1888, and is now in practice in Melbourne as a consulting engineer.