MR. W.H. HAMER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 72, 21 September 1940, Page 13

MR. W.H. HAMER

Mr. W. H. Hamer, engineer to the Auckland Harbour Board for 21 years, whose death in England was reported this week, in 1924. Mr. Hamer, who was about 70 years of age, was educated at Rugby and at the time of his appointment to Auckland in 1903 was resident engineer to the London and India Docks Company at the Royal Victoria and Albert Docks. He had previously been employed by the Hull Docks and Railways Company, the River Humber Conservancy, the London and Tilbury Lighterage Company, and other authorities. When Mr. Hamer arrived in Auckland in 1903, he was asked to prepare a comprehensive scheme isr future harbour works as the port was then at the beginning of its period of phenomenal development. In 1904 he submitted a report in which he recommended the plan on which the remodelling of the port and its equipment has been based. It was Mr. Hamer who introduced to Auckland the construction of wharves in reinforced concrete, the first trial pile having been driven on November 1, 1904. This method of construction has stood the test of time. Mr. Hamer was in charge of all harbour works until the completion of Princes Wharf in 1924, when he retired and returned to England, ,